Time
by Death Row Six
Summary: Three years since the SFIT incident, yet Hiro and the others still haven't gotten any word or report of what happened to Tadashi on that tragic day. It left a lot of empty holes in each of the team members and the family. Time stops for no one and each of them is forced to look on. Yet, their pasts manages to catch up to their future.
1. Atlas (Teaser Chapter)

Atlas

Three years, twelve months, six days, and sixteen hours since his brother had vanished. After the fire had been extinguished that one cold night in SFIT, no body of Tadashi was found. At least that was he was told. After apprehending Callahan, he waited and waited for any report upon finding a body. Despite the funeral, he wasn't satisfied.

Yet time stopped for no one and Hiro got a little older and a little wiser, his friends and Aunt Cass saw it. There was a part of Tadashi in Hiro's personality and even appearance, but he was still unique in comparison to his brother. He had a growth spurt and got his hair trimmed just a tad bit, due to Aunt Cass nagging him of course.

It wasn't until he was in his third year at SFIT that he came home with a package waiting for him. He rarely got packages nowadays. In it was a new SFIT Ninjas hat, the same one Tadashi wore those three years ago. The original one he had was torn and ragged, so he kept it tucked away to try and freeze time in the form of a hat.

Aside from the hat was a note that said, "Merry Christmas, knucklehead". Hiro was a bit upset at first, thinking it was some kind of prank, but he knew his brother's handwriting like the back of his hand and there was no denying it was his.

Aunt Cass' voice filtered up into his room, "Hiro! Hurry, we have to get to the Memorial Hall in time for your presentation!"

Hiro snapped out of it and quickly shoved the box under his bed as he heard the footsteps climbing his stairs. Aunt Cass came into his room with her hands on her hips and a very unhappy look.

"Hiro, you've been up here for an hour, you haven't -"

"I know I was working making sure Atlas worked and don't worry, I'll get dressed right now." Hiro groaned. He took the liberty and ushering out his Aunt, who rolled her eyes and headed downstairs once more.

The eighteen year old quickly got dressed and tried to forget the package for now, he could sort that out later. For now, he had a presentation to do.

These presentations were optional, but he knew he would get a pretty smashing portfolio when he applied for graduate school. So he took the liberty and designing new projects.

"Alright! I'm here, let's go!" Hiro laughed, running past Aunt Cass. She turned around and heard the familiar squeak of Baymax's feet come down the stairs. "Hello, Aunt Cass. Hiro is ready, he is healthy, but is still suffering mild irritation in the throat from the peanuts he had eaten." Baymax pointed out.

Aunt Cass pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed heavily. "Come on! You guys are so slow!" The Hamada guardian sighed even louder at Hiro as he called them out, she closed the door after Baymax squeezed out of the café door.

The three of them arrived at the Tadashi Hamada Memorial Hall just in the nick of time. Hiro grabbed Atlas' carrying case and ran ahead of Baymax and Aunt Cass.

"That boy, I swear he gets so excited he can practically vibrate through the floor." Cass smiled.

"Hiro is a human, he cannot vibrate through the floor unless he achieves a sp-"

"Oh there you go again, it's a figure of speech Baymax." Cass said, patting the robot's vinyl arm.

Baymax blinked for a few seconds as he followed Aunt Cass in the direction Hiro ran.

In the Memorial Hall was a photo of Tadashi, a bit about his life and accomplishments. Hiro was saddened by it at first, but after a while, he didn't mind it so much. The younger Hamada saw his brother as not only a role model, but an ideal to be. He smiled as he read the words 'hero' on the engraved plaque.

"There you are!" Wasabi's voice reached his ears. The gang was all here, Honey, Gogo, Fred, and Wasabi had been waiting for him.

"You better hurry Hiro, you're next after Osborne. " Honey reminded. Hiro's eyes widened as he grabbed Atlas' case and ran off towards the main floor. His friends chuckled and smiled as Aunt Cass and Baymax joined them. Together, the group followed after the aspiring inventor.

"Thank you for your time! The Z-Caliber will revolutionize the way police apprehend criminals!" Osborne finished. A minute later, Hiro's name was called through the speaker. His friends and family stood in the crowd, waiting for the young man to enter the stage.

A case slid into the spotlight, soon after, Hiro came walking into the light as well. "Good evening, over the past 3 years, there has been numerous structural failures and natural disasters that has trapped civilians."

He propped the case up as he talked, "There has been many casualties because of the heavy debris and because we could not get to them in time." He pressed a few buttons on the case and placed the straps through his arms as the crowd watched.

"But with Atlas, a new exoskeleton, this can all change." He said, keeping eye contact. Hiro slipped the small headset on like and earbud and allowed a small glass screen to cover his eye.

The case on his back expanded and soon his arms and legs were reinforced with a metallic exoskeleton. A structure on his back resembled what looked like a thick spinal cord and as well as a support system for the front.

"Atlas is an intuitive exoskeleton, able to learn and understand not only the wearer, but the situation. With Atlas, it gets to know the person wearing it, making sure that the wearer is comfortable and safe. It will adjust accordingly to the user."

The exoskeleton's robotic frame carefully tightened around Hiro's torso and limbs. The spinal system's lights on the back blinked a bit, until adjusting the support system.

Hiro walked around with it, showing how mobile it was. Fred rolled out two heavy barbells slowly as he talked. "Atlas is an all-terrain exoskeleton, allowing it to tread the harshest conditions and even has a system for aquatic operations."

The inventor bent his knees and jumped back with a spring mechanism from the exoskeleton's feet. "It can jump higher than a human can, run faster, and is stronger. If the wearer can't handle holding the debris, he can use Atlas' gripping hooks to lift the object."

A set of hooks came forward from the skeleton and he lifted the heavy barbells with it. Hiro breathed in, afraid that the next stunt he was about to do would go wrong. "Atlas is capable of lifting over one-thousand pounds, allowing the user to move and lift debris from buildings."

He then grabbed one barbell with one hand and the other. The crowd held their breath and Hiro slowly lifted the two sets of barbells with each arm. They could hear Atlas whirring and hissing just a bit from the weight, until it evened out and the exoskeleton learned the situation.

The skeleton's arms locked up slowly, so that the weight would not be released. Until it finally calculated the weight and allowed the user full control of the rest.

When Hiro fully lifted the barbells over his head, the crowd's eyes widened and sounds of awe and wonder filled the room. He slowly lowered the barbells to his side and walked around with ease. Finally, he slowly lowered the heavy objects to the floor and moved on.

Hiro tapped the piece of glass covering his right eye, he held it up for the crowd to see. He turned it around and finally placed it back on himself.

The glass was made from resilient glass, almost unbreakable if it was hit. "This headpiece allows Atlas to survey the area, taking note of the terrain, the sensors on the feet of the exoskeleton will also tell that as well."

He looked over to Fred, who tossed him a roll of duct tape. "No matter the injury or even abrasion on the user, Atlas will detect it." He put the tape on his arm and ripped out a huge chunk, Hiro winced as the skin turned red.

The screen behind him lit up as it projected what Hiro was seeing through the headpiece. He moved so the headpiece saw the abrasion, which it began to quickly process. Atlas identified it as abrasion and showed it on a silhouette of a person. Then it said, 'Minor Injury – Abrasion – Vital Signs Are Stable'.

Hiro nodded and tossed the tape back to Fred, giving him a small thumbs up. He ordered Atlas to power down with the phrase "I am safe Atlas", which it did, slowly retracting back into the case that Hiro had originally.

"Atlas will save lives, no more civilian deaths, it's the first step to an adaptable exoskeleton." he said, clasping his hands together. "He'll not only save the civilians, but the user if need be, Atlas can lock up and release the user if an object trapped him in place, it will allow the user to crawl away as it holds the structure."

Hiro placed the case on the ground once more and tapped the code onto the case. It expanded again and took the form of an upright human being, of course with no head. The exoskeleton bowed as Hiro bowed, until Hiro ordered it to power down once more.

The inventor thanked the crowd and carried the case from the stage down to meet his friends and family.

"Dude that was awesome!" Fred shouted, ahead of the pack. "Yeah it was little man! Man you have to let me see that thing in action!" Wasabi exclaimed.

Hiro got a bear hug from Honey again and a hair ruffle. "Oh my god! I took so many photos of you while you were up there, we totally have to send this into the SFIT Scribe. They're going to want a story on Atlas I'm sure."

Gogo patted his back and curled her fist, holding it up for him. "Nice invention, nerd. You surprised me this year. " Hiro fist-bumped her and grinned, "Honestly, I wouldn't have been able to finish Atlas in such a short time without your guy's help and encouragement. Not to get sappy, but thank you guys."

The group hugged Hiro and laughed, Baymax came in and wrapped his arms around as much as he could in the group. "Yes, hugs are good, especially from friends and family. Everyone should get at least one or two hugs a day."

"Aw you're all so cute!" Aunt Cass cooed. She held up her camera and said, "Say cheese!"

As the camera's flash went off, Hiro saw a figure in the corner of his vision, someone so familiar he couldn't miss him.

In the dark corner of the showcase was someone who looked like his brother, flashing a momentary smile and a thumbs up. Then the flash went off and he was blinded by the light, the figure was then gone.

"Hiro? Hiro? Are you okay? Are you having a seizure from the flash?!" Wasabi asked frantically, stepping in front of him. Hiro snapped out of his dumbfounded look and blinked a few times. "-Wha? Oh! Uh no, no, no, um sorry – I just got caught up in my thoughts. Er, success."

His friend frowned for a moment and then decided to let it go. When Hiro looked back at the spot where the figure was, there was no one there.

"Yeah! Let's go to Aunt Cass' for a celebration!" Freed cheered. Hiro followed the group, Baymax on the other hand followed Hiro next to him. As the group chatted, Baymax and Hiro stayed silent.

"Is Tadashi here?" Hiro asked softly.

"… Tadashi is here." Baymax simply replied.

Hiro nodded as he let the Hamada Memorial Hall door close behind him, he followed his friends and family. The night suddenly felt colder to him.


	2. Bond

Thanks for reading the first chapter! I realized I forgot to put some notes on there about the premise of the story. So I'll treat that as a sort of 'teaser' to the story and say a few things about the story. *wink wink* Hiro is currently 18, the rest of the crew is in their early 20s to keep it short. I won't say too much because I do want to keep the rest a secret, but I will gladly ask any questions about the characters or events. So please, feel free to shoot me a message!

- D.R.

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><p>"Tadashi is here…" Hiro mumbled, leaning his chin against his forearm as he played with an action figure. Despite growing up, he still kept hobbies like collecting action figures on the side, he found talking to Fred about it was enjoyable.<p>

There were a lot of things he did with each of his friends, he studied with Wasabi, talked geek with Fred, helped Honey with her chemistry experiments, and hung out around Gogo's garage. Hiro never got rid of Tadashi's moped, he actually would get it fixed or tuned up at Gogo's workplace.

It was his mode of transportation and is safe to say the only conversation starter he could have with Gogo.

"Hiro, you have not eaten yet. It's always good to be properly well fed." said the vinyl robot. Hiro smiled and rolled his chair around. Baymax was holding his plate, using his heater to keep the food warm.

"Thanks bud, sorry I'm just thinking that's all." Baymax stared at him for a few moments, cocking his head to the side.

"Thinking is good. However, your neural levels say that you are feeling something close to sadness. Would you like me to call your friends?" Hiro shook his head and chuckled, he never got tired of Baymax's tips and care.

He took the plate from Baymax and set it on his desk. "Nah, I just need some time alone. You know it's sometimes what sad people might need. Friends and family is nice, but sometimes it's nice to have some alone time."

Baymax slowly nodded. "Would you like me to leave so you can get some 'alone time'?"

Hiro looked up and sucked in his breath. He shook his head and stood up. "Nah, you're an exception, don't worry Baymax. People can sometimes be … over compassionate, I guess?"

"I see." The robot watched Hiro walk over to his door and close it, before grabbing the box he hid under his bed the other night. "Baymax, do you believe in ghosts?"

The robot only knew how to treat living patients, he wasn't sure what he meant at all. "No, I do not. I treat the living, I do not have a sensor to track paranormal beings."

Hiro nodded slowly and bit the bottom of his lip. He opened the box again and placed the hat on the bed. "Can you identify finger prints? Or … um DNA samples?"

Baymax waddled over to the hat and leaned into it, scanning it over and over again. "I cannot detect finger prints. But I have found traces of anti-bacterial."

The inventor arched his brow, confused as to why there would be traces of anti-bacterial on the hat. "How about handwriting? Can you detect that? I know my brother would show his handwriting in front of you."

Hiro held the note in front of Baymax, who began scanning it. "This hand writing is very similar to Tadashi's."

Hiro was elated, he thanked Baymax and put the note down. He wanted to know more, to know his brother was alive. But at the same time, he was afraid he wouldn't like what he would find out.

It was fear of the unknown, humans are so susceptible to it, even him. Hiro sucked in his breath and plopped back onto his chair. "Is there anything else you would like me to scan?" Hiro shook his head and looked out his window.

San Fransokyo faded into a flurry of neon lights as it approached night. "Baymax, have I told you what I'm afraid of?"

The robot shook his head, "No, you have not. What are you afraid of Hiro?"

The inventor rubbed his eyes and ran his hand through his hair. "I'm afraid of death, of course. Sometimes I'm afraid of the dark. Because I don't know what's in the dark." he muttered.

Baymax waddled over to the young Hamada who stared out the window. "Would you like to start training how not to be afraid of the dark?"

Hiro grinned in amusement, Baymax seemed to have a solution for everything below the sun and above. "Walks are good right? We should go for a walk. It'll get my mind off things."

Baymax nodded and followed Hiro as he grabbed his coat on his way down the stairs.

"Aunt Cass! Me and Baymax are going out for a walk, okay?!" Hiro hollered on his way to the door.

"Don't be out too late! Don't talk to strangers! And no bot fighting!" Aunt Cass called.

Hiro grinned and motioned Baymax to follow his to the garage. Over the years he's made Baymax's suit more efficient, meaning he got it on faster and didn't have to take so long to put it on.

In just a minute, Baymax and Hiro were suited up. Aunt Cass had found out about their superhero shenanigans, she didn't like it but she understood why they did it.

"Did I say walk? I meant fly." Hiro grinned. Baymax nodded and soon they were soaring into the star littered sky.

Hiro and Baymax ascended past the clouds, all the way to the wind turbines painted with Japanese art. There, they landed on top of one and enjoyed the scenery. "Killer view, huh Baymax?"

The robot looked around and then up to the sky. "How is this view fatal? Are you experiencing shortness of breath from the elevation? If so we should descend immediately."

"Figure of speech bud." Baymax cocked his head for a second and then looked forward. "Is it possible to have my database updated with 'figures of speech'?"

"I'll work on it later, they got a whole dictionary for slang." Hiro yawned, leaning back. He stared at the sky and pointed up to it.

"You know, in some stories, they say that people who pass away become stars. They watch over us and protect us." he said.

Baymax looked up and scanned the stars. "That is very nice of them. The star people are very pretty."

Hiro nodded, silently agreeing to his statement. "Should I even try to find my brother, Baymax? What do you think?"

The robot was only capable of so much, but he began to use spatial analysis to make an answer. "I believe that sometimes, you should make decisions you think is best for you."

Hiro was surprised, usually Baymax gave straight answers and advice. He took off his helmet and smiled, Baymax was developing, evolving even.

The Hamada raised his fist to level Baymax's. The robot gently bumped his fists with the boy. "Balalalalalalalala."

Hiro laughed and nodded, "Yeah, balalalalala."

The lights of San Fransokyo didn't pierce the clouds below them, for that he was thankful. It was nights like these that he found peace. Time felt slow in the clouds, he didn't have to worry about the constant movement of San Fransokyo beyond the clouds.

Hiro felt like he was in control up here, or some sort of control. San Fransokyo was out of his control, it moved forward, progress in technology and anything in that realm.

He liked it no doubt, but Hiro found himself jumping back into the past every now and then.

"Hiro, your cellular device is making noises." Hiro snapped out of his trance and pulled the cellphone from his pocket.

"Yes? Hiro Hamada here."

"Hiro? Did you still want to see my experiment? I showed it to Gogo and the others already. I just need one last review." Honey asked.

"Yeah definitely, I'll be on my way to the lab." Hiro replied.

"Okay!"

Hiro stood up and stretched his arms, hesitant to leave the beautiful view. "Honey wants me to review her chemical experiment, do you want to come?"

Baymax nodded, with that, he took Hiro back to Aunt Cass' home and they unsuited from there. Baymax retracted back into his charging station and Hiro strapped him up to the moped.

Without a thought, Hiro grabbed the hat sent to him and placed it atop his head as he ran out the door.

"Alright, let's go. I don't want to keep Honey waiting for too long." he said as he slipped his helmet on.

The boy and his robot sped through San Fransokyo to the school. It was late but the city always seemed to be alive and breathing regardless of the time and date.

"Honey, we're here." Hiro and Baymax came through the lab doors and looked around for any signs of the blonde.

"Hiro! Thank you for coming! I'm sorry I called you so late, but I - " Honey stopped mid-sentence when her eyes fell onto the hat. She froze up, it reminded her so much of Tadashi.

Hiro blinked for a moment, he mentally slapped himself after he realized what he did.

The boy quickly snatched the hat off his head and mumbled an apology. She smiled weakly and shook her head. "Hiro, no it's fine, sorry I didn't mean to react like that."

She walked over and gently took the hat from his hands, then secured it atop his head. "He would have said that it fits you." she laughed.

Hiro smiled slightly and nodded, "I actually got this as a Christmas present."

"Oh? From who?" she motioned him to follow her.

He placed his hands in his pockets and followed suit, with Baymax behind him. "Um, from…."

Does he dare say his name?

"From?"

"Tadashi." he said, the name tumbled from his lips like rocks.

She turned around and frowned, her green eyes had a flicker of doubt and confusion. "What do you mean? Another person named Tadashi, right?"

"No. Tadashi, my brother." His voice was barely above a whisper, afraid that he was walking on broken glass.

Honey's brows knitted together, as if she was having trouble breathing. "Hiro, this isn't funny. That's not something I take - "

Hiro reached inside his jacket and pulled out a note, "It's not a joke. See?" He stuck the paper out to her.

Honey took it from him and looked at it for a few minutes. "This is his… handwriting, but…" Her voice slowly died down into a whisper. In times like this, it was hard for her not to get emotional.

The stress of school wore on all of them, especially the bubbliest of them all. But now that she saw this, it messed with her emotions even more. Honey placed her hand over her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut.

She took in a deep breath and tears began to spill from her shut eyes. Her shoulders sagged and she sank to the floor slowly, memories of her close friend threatened to surface.

All of it was all too painful and all too real. Tadashi still held a piece of her heart for all these years, Honey just didn't want to think about it anymore.

"W-where is he? Where Hiro?" she cried. Hiro had a lump in his throat, how would he answer that. He didn't have an answer the day he 'died', why would he have one now?

"I – I don't know, I – I'm sorry, I didn't mean to - " his voice was strained now. Hiro promised himself not to cry, he hasn't cried in a long time.

The tears he had were spilled, he didn't know where these ones were coming from. The Hamada brother sank down as well, hugging the crying student.

"He's alive, Hiro. He's alive." she wept. Suddenly, her cries of grief turned into cries of joy. Hiro and Honey began to laugh, their tears weren't of sadness anymore, but of happiness.

Baymax bent over and hugged both of them. "There, there. It is alright to cry. Everything will be okay."

"Yeah, you're right buddy." Hiro laughed, wiping the tears from his eyes.

Honey took in a deep breath and composed herself. "I needed that. But… I want to see him again." she said softly.

"Me too, Honey, me too." Hiro stood up and helped the chemist off the floor. "The experiment?"

"Oh! Right, gosh how could I forget?" Honey wiped her makeup carefully, trying to rid the tears from her eyes.

Hiro sat near her table, watching her perform the experiment. Soon after the report was written and Honey collected it, they packed up and began leaving the lab.

"Hiro, when you see Tadashi, can you give him this for me?" she asked, holding a piece of paper in her hand.

"What's it sa -" Hiro felt a gentle tap on his hand as he tried to open it. "Hiro! Don't open it come on." she huffed playfully.

"Okay okay! I won't open it, promise." He said, flashing his signature smile.

"I can't wait to see him. Hearing him alone is enough." she said softly. Hiro smiled as he closed the lab door behind them.

"He'd feel the same way." Hiro remarked. "You think so?" She tilted her head, Honey never asked much about what Tadashi said about her. Tadashi talked about Hiro to her, but she didn't know if he talked to Hiro about her.

"I know so. He wouldn't shut up about you. Frankly, I got annoyed at one point."

The two of them laughed as they reached SFIT's parking lot. "I'll see you tomorrow Honey." he yawned.

"Goodnight Hiro, stay safe, okay?" Honey stopped at her car and waved as the pair walked on to their moped. "You too!"

As they approached the moped, Hiro opened Baymax's charging station and waited for the robot to step in. "Uh, Baymax?" The robot stood there for a second, staring off into the distance.

"Baymax are you out of batteries?" Hiro frowned, leaning up to tap the sensors. The robot put his hand on Hiro's arm.

"Tadashi is here." Baymax simply stated. Honey's car almost drowned out what the robot stated, but Hiro heard him loud and clear.

"What? Where?" Hiro sputtered, his eyes wide and his senses awake.

Baymax looked around for a moment and pointed in a direction away from the institute. "There."

Hiro took no time in waiting, he locked the moped and charging station up again. Then he tugged the robot along. "Direct me as we're moving Baymax." said the inventor, glancing at the nurse bot every now and then.

Hiro was led to the same bridge that overlooked the Institute. The cherry blossoms rustled around them in the still night. Pink petals fell onto the water that ran under and onto the worn plants of the bridge.

"You upgraded his sensors? I'm impressed."


	3. Distance

Thank you for reading this story so far, it's been wonderful reading the comments. This is one of the longest and hardest chapters I've thought of so far. I wanted to keep both of these characters true to their personality, but still have some new development since time passed.

I used context such as how far I think each of them changed in terms of personality and even age while still retaining the chemistry/interactions they had presented in the movie. Anyway, enough talk, enjoy!

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><p>The voice rang through his ears like bells on a clear day. Hiro could recognize that voice in a hurricane, how could he forget anyway? He was so stunned he forgot to breathe until his senses came back to him.<p>

Once they did, he inhaled sharply and whipped around to meet the owner of the voice.

Beside one of the cherry blossom trees was a lone figure, his eyes had to adjust to see the figure better. But the man held a hand up in front of him, signifying him to stop.

Hiro realized this person was on a wheelchair once the light of the moon hit the metal bars of the structure. The person on the chair soon came into his view, but tears were threatening to skew his vision all the same.

It was his brother, this whole time he had been alive. A lot of questions raced through Hiro's mind and he wanted answers to all of them. Still, he didn't know where to even begin.

"Well? What do you think? Built this thing myself." Tadashi said softly, motioning to the wheelchair.

The younger brother strode forward and fell onto his knees, he wrapped his arms around his big brother in a tight hug. "I hate you so much right now." he cried.

"Me too buddy, me too." the older Hamada sighed. A bittersweet smile adorned his face, hidden by the hood that hugged his head. A look of guilt clouded Tadashi's brown eyes as he let his brother cry unto him.

Short sobs filled the night and joined the rustling of the leaves. San Fransokyo was almost non-existent for the siblings at the moment, all that mattered was the present.

Tadashi had wrapped his brother in a tight hug, they stayed that way for a couple of minutes. None of them knew how to really react, there were so many things left unsaid between the two of them.

Even though Hiro had grown up to be quite emotionally strong over the years, he still broke down every now and then. He was still human after all.

"I missed you. We missed you. Three years, Tadashi. Can you imagine? Three years." Hiro hiccuped as he rubbed the tears off his face.

Tadashi patted his back, feeling a few tears prickle his eyes. "I know. I-I know. Three years, it's already been that long." The older brother bit his bottom lip and inhaled sharply.

"I probably have a lot of explaining to do, huh Hiro?" he laughed shakily.

Hiro sniffed, the cold air made his nose run even more, the young man rubbed his nose on his sleeve and sighed loudly. "It's not probably. You do. Holy hell Tadashi, do you understand?" he muttered.

The younger brother pulled away from the hug and sat next to his brother in the wheelchair. "Three years you've been gone?" he whispered. He let the last few drops of tears leave his cheeks, trying to regain composure of himself.

Tadashi carefully pulled himself off the wheelchair and carefully sat next to his brother. He laid his legs in front of him and placed his hands on his lap.

Then he let the hood fall around his shoulders, revealing a much different looking man than the Tadashi they knew three years ago. He had burnt scars upon the right side of his face, trailing all the way down past the collar of his shirt and jacket.

His hair had been lightly shaved around the sides of his head, leaving the rest of his hair the way it was. There were some bags under his eyes and a light stubble around his mouth and jawline.

A minute passed till one of them finally spoke up. "Hiro, I'm so sorry." Tadashi said softly, looking back at his brother.

Hiro clenched his jaw, feeling anger and bitterness swell up inside of him, "I just wished you could have said it sooner."

His older brother's expression softened and he looked back in front of him. Hiro caught a glimpse of the scars and differences on his appearance, a wave of guilt pressed against the young man as they sat silently.

Hiro knew he should be happy, he would have happily hugged his brother if he wasn't so unconsciously despondent. The young sibling's brown eyes studied Tadashi for a moment, there was a hint of loneliness regret in his eyes.

It wasn't his fault. Hiro didn't know who to blame, he hadn't forgiven Callahan all these years. He wasn't that strong, he wasn't strong enough to forgive just yet. Now that he saw the destruction he inflicted on his brother, he didn't know if he would be able to ever forgive the man.

"I shouldn't have said that." Hiro expressed blankly, looking ahead of him. Tadashi glanced to his brother, curious as to what he had to say.

Hiro wrapped his arm around his brother's shoulder and gave him a slight hug. "I'm happy you're back. I really am. I just have so much to let out." he shakily laughed.

Tadashi's mellow expression turned into a bitter smile as he wrapped an arm around Hiro and returned the hug. "I'm happy I'm back too. I missed you all. But I've heard of how successful you've become." Tadashi wanted to change the subject, he didn't want to tell Hiro what happened to him just yet. He wanted to at least comfort his brother before things got dark, a light hearted conversation was a step.

Hiro arched his brow, even after all this time, his brother still watched over him. "How'd you know?"

Tadashi shrugged, scratching the underside of his jaw, "SFIT Scribe, I'd steal one off the coffee shop nearby. I remember one article, _Mr. Hiro Hamada – SFIT's Freshman Robotics Prodigy_."

Hiro shook his head, remembering that article, he hated getting the single praise. He hated it even more that he was put into the limelight. Hiro wanted to be as humble as he could be among his peers.

"Yeah, that one." he said blankly, staring at practically nothing.

The younger brother was trying so hard not to cry, he already did that a few minutes ago but he felt like he grew farther apart from his brother. He could barely keep the conversation going. Tadashi sensed this, both of them were just as broken.

They lapsed into another period of verbal ceasefire and settled into peace. But a feeling began to broil up from within Tadashi, he chewed the bottom of his lip anxiously in order to suppress the tears.

"I tried. I did the best I could. I shouldn't have ran into the building." Tadashi gulped, a lump in his throat threatened to stop his talking. His voice cracked and he choked, his brows furrowed and he cried. His shoulders shook as sobs wracked his body.

Regret crept forth in his mind, Tadashi knew if he didn't run into that building he didn't have to cause so much of his family and friends pain.

It was unnecessary pain, they didn't deserve it, yet he felt responsible for it all this time. It showed, his regret came in the form of his burnt scars, his crippled body, and his broken spirit.

It was his fatal flaw, his selflessness almost became his demise and almost his enemy.

"You didn't know. I didn't know." Hiro mumbled, giving his brother a reassuring embrace with one arm. His eyes then fell to the blades of grass that surrounded them. His fingers gently tugged at them, plucking them ever so carefully as if plucking one would kill the others.

Hiro played with a single blade of grass between his fingers and looked up at the night sky. "We didn't know." he repeated, squinting his eyes a bit.

This was what they needed, to let it all out. Years of stress and regret plagued the young Hamada's mind, feeling helpless against time's demands. Tadashi almost carried the same burden, except he had let it taken a toll on his physical appearance.

Tadashi felt his Hiro's hand raise his head to face him. "But all that matters is now. You're here Tadashi, and you're alive. And you're breathing. And you're here." Hiro assured firmly. Tadashi's watched his brother for a moment, letting his words sink in. Hiro bit the bottom of his lip and laughed like he hadn't laughed in a long time.

Tadashi stared at him in confusion, confused at first, he didn't think his brother would react like this. But Hiro's laughter was contagious, and soon, he was laughing too.

"I am. I am, aren't I?"

Tadashi felt alive, more alive than he had been since he survived that fire. Reuniting with his brother restored a part of him, his brother whom he guarded and cherished since the end of time.

Despite being away for this long, their brotherhood stayed resilient. Bonds between people could easily transcend time, the Hamada siblings knew it. Their chuckles filled the air around them and both brothers felt the heavy weight lift from their shoulders.

After their laughter died down, Tadashi slapped Hiro jokingly on the back. "So, I guess we're cool?"

"Did you really just ask me that? Tadashi come on." Hiro replied jokingly.

Tadashi stifled a laughter and shook his head, he sighed and leaned on the palms of his hands. "Sorry, I think I'm three years behind being 'hip'."

"Wha-hahat? Have you been under a rock?" Hiro laughed, hearing how he coined it.

"Cut me some slack little brother. I've been out of touch." Tadashi groaned, falling back onto the grass.

Hiro followed his brother's lead, letting himself rest against the grass as well. "Tell me about it."

Although Hiro was curious, he wanted to know what happened when the building had exploded, but he felt that it would ruin the moment.

He also didn't know how to bring it up or even how he would react to it. It was almost equivalent to pouring salt on their wounds.

The two of them almost forgot Baymax was around until they heard his vinyl legs waddle over to them. "Oh, Tadashi, meet Baymax 2.0." he gestured to the robot.

Tadashi lifted his head a bit to look at Baymax, he arched his brow and asked, "2.0?"

Hiro nodded and leaned on one elbow, "I rebuilt him. He has a new body, Honey sprayed something onto the vinyl to make it much durable and still retain its original qualities."

Tadashi whistled, amazed by how quickly his brother was able to rebuild Baymax. "And his skeleton frame?"

"Reinforced carbon fiber skeleton. Also, upgrading the lithium ion batteries was the hardest, I had to get the purest lithium I could get my hands on. Honey helped me with it." he boasted proudly.

Tadashi grinned, he rubbed Hiro's head, recognizing the baseball hat that was on his hair. "I'm proud of you, I really am. You accomplished so much more than I could. Mom and dad would be so proud too."

Hiro grinned, he was elated to hear his brother's praise after thinking he would never hear it at all. "Well, if you didn't take me to your nerd school's nerd lab to meet your nerd friends and their nerdy inventions, I wouldn't have even thought about it."

Tadashi elbowed his brother playfully, "And look at you? You ended up to be one of the biggest nerd of them all. Talk about irony."

Baymax watched the two brothers talk, however the nurse bot stayed silent. His heard turned to see Hiro's phone light up in his pocket.

"One second… Hello? Hiro –" Aunt Cass' voice suddenly filtered through the phone, sounding concerned.

"Aunt Cass, I'm fine! No really I am. I just uh – " he glanced over to Tadashi, who shook his head quickly. "I ran into a friend on my way out of the lab. We got caught up and forgot about the time."

Tadashi sighed silently, how would he approach Aunt Cass? How would he approach his friends? He didn't even know if he wanted to do so anymore.

Exiting their lives was hard enough, entering wouldn't be any easier. He would have so much to explain and so much to catch up on, it was overwhelming.

"Yeah, I'm coming back home now Aunt Cass. I promise… I love you too. Alright, bye." Hiro closed the phone and looked over to his brother. "Well, I have to get home."

Tadashi nodded, he clasped his hands together and laid them on his lap. "It's late for you, that's probably best."

"What about you Tadashi? Where do you even live?" Hiro asked curiously.

Tadashi pointed his finger towards the harbor, "You know the warehouses they decommissioned? Well I live in one of them."

Hiro frowned, his brows knitted together, "You shouldn't be living like that, and do you have food?"

Tadashi held his hands up like a child when Baymax came around. "Oh yeah, I got food. I have a pretty good diet too now. I – um, how do I say this, perform for money?"

Hiro stared at him for a moment, unsure of what he meant, "Perform for money?" Tadashi was picked up by Baymax, sensing that the man wished to be placed back on his wheelchair.

"Oh no! That's not what I meant. I mean, I bot fight." he responded shortly. "Thanks Baymax." Tadashi was placed back on his wheelchair carefully.

"You bot fight? That's illegal!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands up annoyance.

"Odd that that came from your mouth – but still, I couldn't get a legal job, I didn't have papers or anything with me!" Tadashi defended.

Hiro groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, thinking of a way to somehow fix this. "What would Aunt Cass say if she heard about this?"

Tadashi used the lever to recline the back of his wheelchair a bit and then sighed heavily. "You got a job in mind? I'll take it if I don't have to prove my identity. Unless you want to get me a fake ID."

Hiro adjusted the hat on his head and looked at the Institute, he honestly didn't know what to say. "How about a door man at the San Fransokyo Luxon?"

Tadashi turned his head to him with a condescending look, "Really? No thanks, I'll stick to what I got."

Hiro didn't know how he would help his brother's situation with a job, he didn't have any jobs in mind that wouldn't ask him for his identity. "How about you come back to live with us?"

"That's impossible at the moment. I can't just waltz back into everyone's life Hiro." Tadashi muttered, staring out into the night.

He was right, Hiro knew this, and it was easier said than done. Still, he wanted to make it all work out. Hiro still hadn't figured out how to do it or where to even begin. "How about I lend you some money? I have a job now by the way as a waiter in the Kabuki Diner."

The older brother appreciated his offers, he didn't think he would have to rely on his brother. It wasn't bad, he was just so use to being the one to watch over him. But now it was the other way around it seemed.

"I appreciate it, I really do bro. But I can't just take money like that, it's not who or how I am, you know?" Hiro expressed his silent agreement, not saying anything more.

"Will I see you again? I want to talk more with you, y' know, to catch up on these years."

"You are just full of questions tonight, huh?" the injured man smiled. Hiro rolled his eyes and adjusted the cap on his head. "Tch – well I have three years worth of questions for you."

Tadashi smiled warmly, it was something he didn't hear from Hiro much. When his brother was in his teens, Hiro barely wanted to spend time with Tadashi.

"But yeah, of course we can catch up. Here, give me a pen and your hand." Tadashi offered. Hiro pulled a SFIT pen from his jacket and handed it to Tadashi.

Hiro watched his brother write the warehouse number on his palm in black ink. He made a mental note to transfer it to paper. Afterwards, some silence passed between them. It was a peaceful silence, Hiro felt at ease around his older sibling.

The night would end with a parting again, something both of them were aware of. Hiro didn't want to say goodbye and neither did Tadashi. Hiro parting with him once was enough, doing it again was too heart wrenching.

Saying goodbye after meeting him again for the first time was much harder than he envisioned. Their moment felt so short, reunions always seemed to be just as hard as parting. The lump in Hiro's throat grew, but he swallowed it and realized they would have to part again.

"Since you're heading back, it's really dark out too Tadashi, we can go with you."

Tadashi beamed, knowing how hard it was to part with his brother. "You think this guy can't take it? I've been working out, see? I can take care of myself little brother." he scoffed jokingly.

Hiro rolled his eyes, knowing how his brother was always so independent. "If you say so."

"I know so. Here, give your big brother a hug and I'll show you how strong I got." he affirmed. Hiro walked over and hugged his brother in his wheelchair.

"Ow wow ow! Dude you're crushing me!" Hiro snapped. Tadashi roared into laughter, the younger brother shot a look of distaste at him in response.

"I can drop you right now, you know that?"

"You wouldn't do that to your poor brother wouldn't you?" Tadashi pouted. "Hell yeah I would."

"You're colder than the night is right now."

Hiro shook his head and patted his older brother's back. "Last hug." he grinned. Tadashi returned the hug and nodded against Hiro's shoulder. "Last hug."

He carefully lowered Tadashi back onto his wheelchair and straightened out his jacket. "So… later then?"

"Later, yeah. Oh! Good job on your presentation by the way. But – uh – your fly was down again." Tadashi pointed out.

"Are you serious? It happens every year! I think I'm going to make zipper-less pants next fair." Hiro whined.

"Invented, brother."

"The difference in mine is that it's better, T."

"Fair enough… Hm, alright. You got to get going, buddy. Aunt Cass is going to flip if you're not home soon." he said, ushering the boy off.

Hiro looked at his brother for a few seconds and smiled, he still couldn't wrap his head around the fact that Tadashi was alive. The conversation they had felt just like old times, it brought back the happier memories rather than the sad ones.

"Hey, before I go, I wanted to say, welcome back." Hiro said softly. Tadashi looked at his brother and nodded in silent appreciation.

Hiro slipped his hands into his pocket and raised his fist. A small grin crept onto Tadashi's face as he connected his fist with Hiro's. "Goodnight little brother."

"Night, Tadashi." Hiro looked over to Baymax and gently nudged the nurse robot. "Let's go Baymax, I should get you recharged."

"I am at thirty-five percent. I will be okay." Hiro held a hand up to Tadashi as he turned to leave. He continued to walk even though each step felt heavy and almost impossible to make.

His brown eyes took one look back to the figure under the cherry blossom trees. Tadashi sat staring at the sky momentarily as if he was frozen. Then he unlocked the wheels and rolled himself away from the hill and bridge.

"Are you happy, Hiro?" Baymax asked, as he was stepping into his charging station.

"Of course Baymax, I'm really happy." he replied in delight, watching the robot deflate.

"That is good. If you are happy. I am happy."

Hiro's expression turned soft, he smiled and watched Baymax retract back into his station. Baymax had done so much for him now, his gratitude was beyond anything he could muster.

"Thank you."

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><p>Hope this one was a good chapter, or at least a decent one. :) But, any commentsquestions about the story so far is just a click below.

- D.R.


	4. Circumstances

Hey, thank you for the support so far, I appreciate every bit of it! It seems like have been releasing the chapters almost non-stop, reason being is that I had published this somewhere else and I want to get you guys caught up. Luckily it's this chapter that is the most current. Either way, I really liked making the backstory of what happened at SFIT. Enjoy!

- D.R.

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><p>"Hiro, you've been staring at that crankshaft for almost an hour."<p>

Hiro's head perked up at the sound of Gogo's voice, had he really? He yawned and rubbed his eyes, he didn't get much sleep after what happened last night.

He turned his chair around to face the female mechanic. "Really? I get a bit lost in my world." he laughed uneasily. She arched a brow and popped the gum in her mouth.

"Well if you don't mind, I've been asking to borrow your soldering iron for the past twenty minutes." she blankly stated.

Hiro looked around his lab for the tool, he forgot where he actually put it. "Oh, hey, here it is." Hiro unplugged the tool and gathered the cord.

"Are you okay? You've been out of it the whole day? I mean, you haven't even opened Atlas or even grabbed gummy bears." Gogo asked.

Hiro walked over to her and held out the soldering iron, "Yeah, I'm just stressed you know? The semester is winding down." he lied.

Unfortunately, Hiro was a tragic liar, he still hadn't perfected the art of dishonesty just yet. His friends easily knew that he was lying when he avoided eye contact or shrugged his shoulders in an awkward fashion.

"Uh huh. Well, thanks for this. Talk to you later." Gogo turned her heels and walked out of his lab. "Wasabi also wanted to talk to you, something about lasers for Atlas." she called back to him.

Hiro knitted his brows together, trying to remember exactly what he asked Wasabi for in regards to lasers.

"Red Sun." With that phrase, Atlas expanded from his case in a matter of seconds. Hiro had features he didn't show on the presentation, one of them being customizable phrase codes.

He studied the exoskeleton for a second, looking for where the laser idea was supposed to go. "Mm – I guess right here." He lifted one of the arms, remembering that he had a plan for it.

Hiro took a 3D scan of the arm and sauntered off to find the laser master himself. They all worked together to help each other's projects, they were the perfect team.

"Wasabi!" Hiro called, seeing the man fixing his workbench. Wasabi looked up and waved to him with a smile, "Hiro, hey, I got an idea for when you mentioned that you needed something that could cut through metal."

"Yeah Gogo told me, I'm excited to learn what it is."

Wasabi grinned, beckoning him to stand next to him. "Watch this." He laid out what looked like a hilt of some sort, a wire stuck out from the end that was connected to what looked like a homemade switch.

His friend flipped it and a short '_bzzt_' was heard, suddenly a glowing blade of some sort came into existence.

The blade was shaped closely to a standard samurai katana. Hiro's eyes widened in amazement, "No way!" The laser enthusiast smirked proudly, "Yes way."

Wasabi used his foot to push a thick pipe he wanted to use for a demonstration. He then brought it down onto the elongated metal and sliced it with ease. "I managed to get it shaped like this. It's much more precise than I imagined it to be, definitely not a toy."

Hiro nodded, watching Wasabi turn off the activator for the plasma sword. "So, how do you want this thing mounted onto Atlas?"

For the rest of the day, Hiro worked with Wasabi to improve Atlas' capabilities. He wanted the exoskeleton to be able to cut through metal, allowing him to clear some debris.

Hiro had talked to Honey Lemon too about Atlas' chemical capabilities. They had collaborated and built an augment for the exoskeleton, one that could put out fires.

He had wanted Atlas to be armed with fire retardant filled balls. Hiro envisioned it being used to quell fires if they got out of control while the user was in the building.

He had so much ideas for Atlas, he wanted to make it the Swiss knives of exoskeleton. By the end of the day, Hiro was burned out.

"Hey Hiro, we're going out to get some shawarma bro, why not come with?" Fred offered after he peeked his head in. The tired inventor looked up and nodded slowly without protest.

"I'll meet you guys outside." he yawned. Hiro tidied up his lab station and grabbed his keys to meet his friends. Once he got there, he squeezed into the back of Wasabi's car.

"This should be a thing guys, Shawarma Sundays." Fred insisted. Gogo popped her gum and looked over her shoulder, "I don't think I can take shawarma every Sunday."

Wasabi backed out of the parking space and drove off towards the Jade Dragon Shawarma Stall. "It's been really weird how we've had no distress signals or anything these past few weeks."

Hiro nodded, he agreed with Gogo, they usually got the distress signals within minutes. "It has been pretty quiet, I think the crime rate decreased since Yama was jailed." Honey offered.

Hiro leaned his elbow against the door and relaxed into the cushions, he was thinking about his brother. He had written the warehouse number upon a piece of paper when he came back.

"Hiro?" Honey's voice filtered into his ears, he immediately snapped out of his daze and looked at her with a slack jawed expression.

"H-huh? What?"

"I asked if you knew anything about the sudden decrease in crime rate?" she inquired.

Hiro sat up and rubbed his nose, he didn't think too much of it now, but he was quite curious earlier. He pulled out his phone and pulled up some articles he book marked in his browser.

"Well, there's this thing." Hiro handed the picture of a masked figure on his phone over to Honey. Fred peered over to see, curious as to what the guy looked like. "It's been photographed a few times in the couple of weeks."

Hiro leaned his hand over and clicked another article, "It was reported to be the one responsible for stopping the crime or apprehending the criminals."

Gogo leaned over her chair a bit to see what they were looking at, "Is this guy wearing a motorcycle helmet?" She leaned even closer and scrolled the picture down.

"It's wearing an armored motorcycle jacket too. If you look at his legs, it looks like it has some sort of metal skeleton." she mused.

Hiro wrinkled his nose, actually realizing what Gogo meant. But was it even an 'it'? It looked like a robot and the descriptions it had sounded nothing like what a normal human in motorcycle clothing could accomplish.

"What's his weapons? Laser beams? Super strength?" Fred asked excitedly.

"It looks like this thing uses a bola." Hiro said as he flipped to another article.

"What? Ebola? Dude."

"A bola Fred, not Ebola. A bola is one of those throwing weapons with the ball weights." Hiro sighed, pinching the screen to zoom into the picture of the vigilante throwing a bola.

He studied it for a moment, there was no way this thing was human. No skin was revealed in any of the photos, no wires or skeletons were visible either. "It also uses a metal… bat?" he frowned.

"So it's a street punk robot who happens to be really good in fighting?" Wasabi asked as he pulled up to the Shawarma restaurant. "Something like that." Gogo shrugged.

They hopped out of his car and continued talking about the unknown vigilante. The papers had yet to name the figure, simply calling the thing 'Motorcycle Man' for now.

The five SFIT students sat around the restaurant, merrily eating and chatting away. Everyday each of them usually had a story to share, Hiro on the other hand didn't have one on this particular day.

"Come on, anything cool or exciting happen, eh?" Fred urged, nudging the young man.

Hiro swallowed his food and chuckled, "Not today, well Wasabi actually made Atlas a laser sword. It was pretty awesome."

"Wasabi I thought we were friends!? How come I never got a laser sword when I asked for one?" Fred asked.

The group's laughter filled the air throughout the rest of the hours until they were all full and satisfied. Wasabi drove them all back to SFIT for one last goodbye for the day. "See you guys tomorrow!" Hiro shouted, waving at his friends.

He had asked for a take-out, telling his friends it was for Aunt Cass. However, it was really for Tadashi, he wanted to make sure his brother ate. Knowing Tadashi, he would forget to even drink water.

Hiro took out the slip of paper and memorized the warehouse number Tadashi had written for him. Then he hopped onto his moped and sped through San Fransokyo to reach the harbor. It was just beginning to be sunset, so he didn't have to worry about the dangerous night life of the city.

He parked his moped to the side and began searching for the correct number, it was much harder considering some of the warehouses had faded numbers.

"Warehouse 83." he mumbled, looking around until he found a building with an 83 on it. Hiro walked around the large warehouse a couple of times, wondering if there was an entrance not chained.

A rope suddenly came down in front of him and Hiro jumped back in surprise. "Don't worry, just me." Tadashi called.

Hiro looked up and saw his brother leaning over one of the windows with a rope down. "Uh, do I climb up?"

Tadashi arched his brow, "What? You want me to go down there with my wheelchair?"

"Coming, coming." Hiro grabbed slipped the shawarma wrap into the pocket of his hoodie and began to climb the rope. "Atta boy, here, give me your hand."

Tadashi outstretched his hand and Hiro grabbed hold of it as soon as he could. "I brought you food." Hiro grunted, climbing through the window.

Tadashi pulled the rope up and tossed it to one side. "Really? What is it?" his older brother asked.

"Fred, Wasabi, Honey, and Gogo invited me for some shawarma wraps. I ordered one out for you." Hiro replied, following his brother down a set of ramps.

Tadashi was quite versatile with his wheelchair, he didn't look like he would ever need help in a lifetime. "Aw you care for me. I'm so touched I think I'm going to shed tears." the older Hamada joked.

"I think I'll just eat it for you."

"Wait, no, I was kidding, toss it here! I haven't had shawarma in a long time." Tadashi beckoned. Hiro tossed the wrapped food as he turned his wheelchair around.

"Welcome to my place. Nice, isn't it?" Hiro looked around the space his brother called home, surprised at what he had.

"No heater? It's freezing outside."

"No heater. It's fine, I got about four blankets to cover myself with."

There were three tables with different looking robot parts. A toolbox sat on the end of one table, next to other sets of power tools. Two duffel bags sat at the edge of what looked like a worn cot with a pillow and blanket.

"Nice place, where'd you get all this stuff?" he asked, looking over his shoulder. Tadashi took a bite of his wrap and shrugged his shoulders a bit. "Borrowed and bought." he said shortly, folding the wrapper to one side.

"But I thought you had practically no income?" Hiro frowned, confused as to how it was possible.

"I don't. I did some work for people about a year ago and they let me have the tools I used." Tadashi mumbled, his voice a bit muffled by the food.

Hiro nodded. There were a lot more questions he wanted to ask, but he didn't want to pry further about how he got what. He pulled a chair over to himself and sat down, Hiro leaned back and watched his brother eat.

Tadashi looked like he hadn't eaten in a while, his brother didn't seem like he was taking the time to chew his food. "Is it okay if I asked you what happened? Those three years ago?"

Tadashi looked up from his food and met his brother's eyes, he thought about the question for a minute or so. However, it was a matter of time till he had to explain himself. Starting with Hiro was one step.

"Yeah, of course. I'm guessing you want to ask how I survived." Hiro nodded. Tadashi wrapped the food up and set it onto one of his workbenches. "Alright well…"

"When I ran to the showcase floor, I saw Callaghan. He saw me too, but one of the light beams fell onto me when I stopped. Everything happened so quick, he sent some microbots to cover me I think, but it wasn't enough to negate most of the heat."

Hiro hated to admit it, but Callaghan saved Tadashi in some way. He didn't know if it was intentional or not, Hiro never visited the man for a long time. Hiro's brown eyes watched his brother fiddle around uncomfortably.

Tadashi pulled a lever on the side and reclined his wheelchair. He folded his arms in front of him and tapped his shoes against the concrete floor. "I was in pain, from the beam and from the heat. But I heard voices as I was drifting in and out of consciousness. The microbots had pulled away from me I think and I heard Callaghan shouting with some other people."

"He was working with the Inagawa Syndicate this whole time. The only reason he got away was when he was helped by their goons to escape without being seen. The vehicles they rode in was a distraction to allow Callaghan to get away. One of the Yakuza members saw me and for some reason, recognized me."

Tadashi sucked his teeth, rubbing the space in between to get any of the vegetables out of it. "They took me from the building. Meanwhile, I could hear the firefighters using their hoses on the showcase building. But by the time they even got in, the guys who were with Callaghan had already put me in a car."

Hiro sat there slack-jawed, he didn't think that of all the people to 'rescue' him, it would be a Yakuza family. However, he did remember seeing black sedans leave the area from the back. The media also noticed the cars and pinned the fire on the workings of the Yakuza.

"That's what happened on that night." he explained, looking over to Hiro.

Hiro gestured to him and asked, "What happened then? Did they treat you?"

"They did. The Inagawa family had their own doctors and treated me until I was in full health. Sort of. I suffered spinal injuries, which was why I'm bound to this." Tadashi gestured to his wheelchair.

"The burns they did what they could, my eyesight on my right was unfixable for the time being. The reason they rescued me was they recognized that I was one of the Hamada kids. You know our dad was a renowned robotics engineer right?"

Hiro nodded, wondering what he was getting at exactly. Their dad was quite the pioneer in the field of robotics and biomedicine.

"Well, I apparently had my dad's features too well and it gave me identity off the fly. After they nursed me back to health, I couldn't just leave. I had a debt to pay with the Inagawa Syndicate."

Tadashi gestured to the tools and robot limbs on the table, "So I worked for the Inagawas, developing lethal robots and tech. I don't know what they did with it, but I'm not proud of it. Some of my projects had to do with bot fighting, engineering the best bot in the underground league."

Hiro's expression turned sour, he didn't understand why his brother had to be involved with such bad people. "Why didn't you leave? You could have avoided that whole thing Tadashi." he accused, his expression resembling a frown.

"I couldn't just leave Hiro. I was on a wheelchair and they threatened to hurt you guys. You, Aunt Cass, Honey, Fred, Wasabi, and Gogo. They would hurt anyone who I was close with." Tadashi sighed in annoyance.

"I had to play their game, until one day, the crime boss pardoned me. But I would have to keep making robots on the side for them. Which is what I'm doing now. So I left the Inigawas a year ago and now I'm here." Tadashi threw his hands up and let them fall to his sides.

"They know where you live?" Hiro asked softly, afraid for his brother's life.

"No, I just meet them with the robot parts in some location around San Fransokyo." Tadashi replied, rubbing the side of his face.

"So you're just going to keep working for them?" the young Hamada inquired.

Tadashi nodded slowly with a dark expression, "Yeah, maybe I'll get out of it one day. But not now. This is why I don't want to go back to you guys just yet. I'm caught right now and I can't get out of it. I want to keep my family and friends safe."

Hiro understood why his brother was gone for all this time. It was unfair really, but it was out of his control. He just wished he somehow found his brother sooner or even ran into the fire after the blast to see him.

Silence crept between them after Tadashi's explanation, Hiro was still trying to swallow it. "How can I help? How can we help?" Hiro offered.

Tadashi smiled bitterly and shook his head, "You can't little brother. I would rather you not. Focus on your schooling for now."

"How can I knowing my brother is being hounded down by a mob?" Hiro defended. Tadashi appreciated his concern, but knew how bold his brother could be. He was afraid the young man would go out and hunt down the Inigawas.

"Hiro, please. Understand me and listen to me – "

"I am listening. And now I'm answering." Hiro snapped, he hated how his brother tried to bear everything.

Tadashi rolled his chair over to his brother and gently bumped Hiro's head with his hand. "Don't. I don't want you to answer for me. It's not what I want, I want you to continue at SFIT and forget about the Inigawas. They're my problem bud and mine alone."

Hiro pushed his hand off and shakily sighed, "Fine, fine. At least let me help in some way."

"Sure, you can bring me food every day."

"You're freaking unbelievable dude." Hiro growled, shaking his head in disbelief. Tadashi chuckled and wheeled himself back to his food.

"How do you get out of this place? By rope?" Tadashi shook his head as he took a bite from the shawarma, practically finishing it.

"I just unlock the door and then lock it up again." Hiro stood up and played with some of the tools on the table. "I'm going to have to head home. I promised Aunt Cass I'd help her make dinner." he stated, setting a wrench down.

"Alright, here, follow me. I'll open the door for you." Hiro followed Tadashi to the back door of the warehouse. He unlocked it and swung it open. The sound of waves against the harbor filled his ears.

"We can talk more sometime later, T. I can catch you up on how the gang is doing." Hiro offered, gently punching his brother's good shoulder. Tadashi beamed happily and nodded, "I'd like that. Be careful on your way home."

"Sure thing big bro. Sleep well, okay?" he called.

Hiro had a lot on his mind that night, especially after knowing Tadashi's circumstances and how it came to be. He was still hell bent on tracking down the Inigawa Syndicate's mob boss. The problem was that the Inigawas were much more secretive and harder to track.

"First things first, Callaghan." Hiro muttered, kicking the moped stand back to its place.


	5. Conversation

Wow, thank you for the comments and messages, I hope it's been an interesting plot so far. I've really enjoyed thinking of an arc for BH6, especially after I heard about the villains that the studio scrapped or set aside. There's a lot of interesting characters that were not introduced into the film directly, like the Fujita Girls to name. I'm hoping to expand that in my own way, hopefully you guys are going to like them as I introduce them.

- D.R.

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><p>Baymax watched the college student sit at his computer, typing furiously in search of information. Over the years, Baymax had developed a personality of his own with the help of Hiro. He could read emotion so accurately he could be mistaken for a person, regardless of reading his neural levels, he could tell how anxious Hiro was.<p>

"What are you searching for?" Baymax inquired curiously.

Hiro continued typing and replied, "I'm looking for some news about the Inigawa Syndicate's boss."

The robot pressed his hand onto one of the computers next to Hiro and began searching as well. "I will help." Hiro smiled and nodded slowly as he continued to read.

"Hiro! Dinner's ready!" Aunt Cass shouted. Hiro closed the browser and powered his computer down, Baymax had stopped searching.

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

"Not yet, thanks for helping though. But I'm kind of overwhelmed from today. Don't mention anything to Aunt Cass, okay?" Hiro said, turning to Baymax.

"Cross my heart and hope to die." Baymax repeated. Hiro chuckled, remembering how he used that phrase in front of him multiple times.

"Come on, bud."

Hiro and Baymax joined Aunt Cass for dinner that night, talking about school and what happened after it. Hiro still didn't mention Tadashi, so he substituted him for a story about burning some time at the labs. He honestly didn't know how to tell Aunt Cass without having her freak out or have a cardiac arrest.

Aunt Cass had the three years worn on her, lines on her face became more apparent and some gray hair appeared in small amounts and strands. She never let the picture of Tadashi fade, she kept his picture up with their parent's photos.

"I'll do the dishes Aunt Cass, don't worry about it." Hiro offered, cutting his chicken with a knife. Cass smiled and kissed the top of Hiro's head.

"Alright champ, don't stay up too long. Love you." she smiled. Hiro nodded and replied, "Love you too Aunt Cass."

Hiro watched her leave to go sleep, knowing how tired she was. She rarely hired anyone to help run the café with her, she was always very independent. A pop was heard behind him and he looked over to find Mochi stuck onto Baymax.

"Not again." he sighed, watching the cat use Baymax as a scratching post. "Mochi, scram." he hissed.

The cat meowed and ran off to follow Aunt Cass, Hiro looked over to Baymax who almost deflated all the way. "I do not understand cats. They are so mischievous." Baymax remarked.

"Yeah, especially Mochi." Hiro said as he stood up to wash his dishes. The night was spent on cleaning up the kitchen and eventually falling asleep at the desk.

Baymax walked over and picked up the tired eighteen year old, then gently placed him onto the bed.

"Goodnight Hiro."

"Night Bay." Hiro mumbled incoherently.

The next day, Hiro spent his normal time in the lab with Atlas. Baymax had come with, tending to the others around Hiro. Despite being Hiro's caretaker, the nurse robot couldn't help but check on the others.

Like Tadashi years ago, Hiro wanted to make Atlas work properly, but something was wrong. Hiro glanced at the coding again, putting some reading glasses to his face.

"It all should be right. I don't understand." he mumbled. Hiro tapped his pen against the desk and looked at the time. It was almost mid noon, he still had a schedule to do. He folded up his reading glasses and began putting his other belongings away.

"Red Sun." Hiro said, making Atlas collapse back into a case. He left the robot there and grabbed his belongings on the way out.

"I'll see you guys later tomorrow!" Hiro shouted.

"Leaving already? It's only 2pm?" Honey called, looking up from her beaker of chemicals.

"Yeah but Aunt Cass wanted me to help her around the café." he lied. They said goodbye to the young man and resumed their work on their projects.

Baymax went with Hiro this time around, he didn't want to leave the boy alone on his errand.

Ever since that night Hiro helped Honey with her experiment, she never spoke of Tadashi again. She seemingly forgot, most likely due to the stress of her projects.

"Where are we going?" Baymax asked through the charging station.

"We're going to talk to Callaghan." he replied, starting the moped and zooming off.

Callaghan had been transferred to a much higher security facility off the coast of San Fransokyo. It was equivalent to Alcatraz prison back in the day.

But this time it was just called Black Dolphin Penitentiary. It was made for the worst criminals of San Fransokyo, usually mobsters or high profile criminals.

Callaghan was charged with murder, multiple attempts of murder, public destruction, and some other charges that he had committed three years ago. Hiro stopped at the parking lot of the ship that took people to Black Dolphin. He had called in advance to schedule a meet with Callaghan, which he was granted.

Hiro rode the ferry to Black Dolphin and proceeded to look for the front desk. Baymax had to stay behind, to which Hiro agreed for the sake of this meeting. He was directed to a room, where a man in orange sat with cuffs around his wrists.

"Hiro." the man said, his blue eyes watching the young student.

"Callaghan. Nice to see you again." Hiro said, his voice suddenly becoming cold. The old professor had changed, he looked much skinnier and his blue eyes had faded.

"I suppose you're wanting an apology, Mr. Hamada?" Callaghan stated. Hiro sat across from the man and shook his head. "No, I don't need one anymore. It's a three years too late for that. I need something else."

Callaghan looked at him momentarily, his blue eyes searched for something on Hiro's expression, a hint as to what he would want. "And?" he inquired, playing with the cuffs on his hand. He had also been restrained to the chair, afraid he may get up and attack Hiro.

The inventor looked around the room, wanted to make sure no one was listening. He didn't recognize any two way mirrors, but got up to check anyway.

Hiro knocked on each side of the wall and didn't hear of such. "Okay, I need information." he concluded, sitting back down on his chair.

"Information? I have nothing to give to you Mr. Hamada." Callaghan replied.

"Oh but you do. Does Inigawa Syndicate ring a bell?" The older man's blue eyes widened and he stared at Hiro with a stunned expression.

Callaghan's mouth stood agape as if he had been struck across the face. He shook his head slowly, as if he was afraid. "No, no, no. Who told you?" he mumbled as he fiddled his thumbs.

"I asked you a question first. Answer it." Hiro replied defiantly. Callaghan stared at Hiro with a look of apprehension and fear.

"You'll just tell about my involvement with them and make my sentence – "

"I won't. I won't. I just need to know who the leader is. I need to help Tadashi." Hiro stated, his gaze softening.

Callaghan's eyes widened and he realize what Hiro had meant. He smile bitterly, fingers fumbling with the cuffs around his wrists. "He's alive." It seemed he had grown less steely after his daughter was found, his headstrong demeanor was tamed after the knowledge of his daughter being alive.

"I can't tell you who the leader is. I never heard his name or was allowed to speak to him." he concluded.

Hiro's brows knitted in frustration and he clenched his fist. "You have to know – someone. Anyone. For crying out loud Calla – "

"Jin Hideyoshi. That's who I was allowed to speak to. He was either an underboss or one of the leader's closest confidants." Callaghan said blatantly.

Hiro relaxed as he let the name sink in, he had nothing to write it on so he made a mental note. He gestured to Robert, "What's he look like?"

Callaghan shrugged his shoulders and tapped the topside of the desk. "Black hair, one side is shaved. There is a scar on the side of his jaw, crescent shaped."

"Tattoos?"

"I wouldn't know. I never saw anything past his coat." Callaghan replied, rubbing his nose with his sleeve.

Hiro thought of anything else to say, it was hard to face the man who almost killed your brother. He still remembered what he said that one fateful day, _"That was his mistake!"_

"That's all I wanted to know."

Hiro nodded slowly and got up, he adjusted his baseball hat to cover his eyes as he turned.

"Hiro."

The eighteen year old looked over his shoulder, meeting the man's gaze. For a split second, a silent and mutual agreement connected the two.

"I'm sorry." Hiro tore his eyes from the criminal and opened the door, "I know. I am too."

Baymax followed Hiro, who quickly left Black Dolphin with an uneasy look. Callaghan was taken back to his cell without protest and locked up once more.

"What is the issue? You seem startled." Hiro unloaded the station and let Baymax step in. "Nothing. Callaghan didn't know who the boss was, but we know one of his people."

Hiro headed back home, eager to find more about Jin Hideyoshi. He greeted Aunt Cass, who was working with some customers, and quickly dragged himself and Baymax upstairs.

"Alright, who are you Jin Hideyoshi?" he mumbled. Hiro didn't have access to every person in San Fransokyo, it would be illegal. However he had his friend Baymax.

Baymax silently watched Hiro type away, the boy's expression changed sporadically as he read each article. "Looks like he runs an antique shop in San Fransokyo's red light district. Unless this is the wrong man."

"Red light? Are there any other lights?" Baymax asked, leaning to look at the website for the shop.

"Red light – erm has to do with illicit … um behaviors in an area. Stuff that's not generally accepted." Hiro replied, trying to be as discreet about it as possible. He began writing the address down and stuck it into his pocket.

"Stay here for me, will you?" Hiro asked, grabbing his jacket from the coat hanger. "I cannot leave you be, Hiro. Let me come with you."

"Baymax, I'll be fine, okay? I'll be in and out before you know it." Hiro reassured, looking at the robot. The vinyl nurse looked at him for a moment, before nodding his body slowly. "I understand."

"Thanks bud, if Aunt Cass asks, tell her I went to get materials for Atlas." he said, patting the robot's arm.

Hiro bolted out the door before Cass could notice him leaving. She was too busy taking orders from the customers anyway. Hiro took to the streets of the city, heading towards the red light district of San Fransokyo.

He was well aware of how dangerous it was, but the thrill of it all was too exciting to turn down. Hiro was too far into it to back down. He also didn't want to be too reckless about it, Hiro would like to keep his Aunt Cass' heart healthy for as long as he can.

The young man parked his moped on the outskirts of the district and began walking about. Hiro looked quite out of place, everyone in the district was wearing clothing much different from his.

He tried to avoid the brothels and any other establishments like that, Hiro wanted to focus on finding the antique shop. He checked the street and buildings for the sign 'The Jade Dragon Antiques'. But the lighting around the area was supremely blinding.

The red light district was quite colorful in reality, neon signs paraded almost every corner. It was busy and bustling as well, tourists and city dwellers alike hung around each curb. There was a distinct smell that Hiro couldn't quite identify, it was relaxing yet strong at the same time.

He could hear the chatter of people and the occasional car pass by. Geishas stood around certain buildings and some conversed on the street. This was where the underground world of San Fransokyo stemmed, it was a hub for many police raids at times as well.

"Here it is." Hiro muttered, stopping in front of a store with a worn sign. The windows were boarded up due to the fact that someone looked like they broke the glass in.

He carefully pushed the door open that rang the bell at the top of the entrance. "Welcome, welcome." a gruff voice spoke.

Hiro walked in carefully and closed the door carefully. "Hello." Hiro said carefully. It was slightly dimmed inside, the walls and floor were lined with different artifacts. Different Japanese arts hung on the wall, making the shop look alive.

A few statues pointed towards him, one of a dragon, others of figures. Hiro's brown eyes landed on a man hunched over a lamp and a magnifier. He looked quite old and nothing like how Callaghan described him.

Hiro looked around the shop for a bit, glancing at the old man every now and then. He brushed some dust off a statue's head. "Sir, is your name Jin Hideyoshi?" he asked.

The old man looked up from his work, Hiro could see a scar near his chin and a tired gaze. "No, young man. He's away right now. Did you need something?"

Hiro quickly thought of a lie. "Well, I was hoping to speak to him about an antique."

The old man set down his tool and straightened up. "Well would you like me to leave him your name?"

Hiro opened his mouth but quickly closed it, remembering what Tadashi had said. They had recognized him and taken him, there was no doubt they'd recognize him too. "No, it's – uh okay, I'll come back another time."

The old man stood up, he seemed to be fixated on Hiro, and then his eyes traveled up to the hat on his head. Hiro had been wearing the SFIT Ninjas hat, which he forgot to take off. His gaze was turning cold and Hiro knew he wasn't welcome anymore.

As the elderly got up though, Hiro saw a tattoo sticking out from underneath his shirt. He knew his cover was blown. "Thank you for your time, I have to get going now." Hiro sputtered, turning his heels and pushing past the door. The old man snatched the phone lying next to his counter and quickly dialed a number.

"I found the younger Hamada boy, he's just left Hideyoshi's shop, and he's still in the district. He's wearing a black San Fransokyo Institute of Tech Ninjas hat." The older man's gaze watched the door swing, listening to the person on the other side.

"I'm sure it's him, you can see it in his eyes." The man set the phone down and hunched over his work again. The sound of shoes echoed down the street as he worked, the sound faded in the direction the younger Hamada brother ran off to.


	6. Run

The Lucky Cat Café's door opened and four chattering college students walked in. "Hey, Aunt Cass!" Fred greeted, walking alongside Wasabi.

"Oh! Hey you guys, if you're looking for Hiro, he should be upstairs." she said quickly, grabbing some plates off the table.

"I'll get your order in a minute sir." Cass smiled to a customer.

Gogo pointed her head towards the stairs, having the others follow her up. However as they got up to the room, they knocked a few times onto the door and received no answer.

"Hey nerd, are you sleeping or what?" Gogo called. There was still no answer. The group of friends looked at each other, wondering if he slept that loud. As soon as they were about to turn around and leave, the door opened.

"Hello, Gogo, Honey, Wasabi, and Fred." Baymax greeted.

They turned around and greeted the robot, before leaning over and peering into the empty room. "Hey Baymax, where's Hiro at? Aren't you usually with him?" Wasabi commented.

Fred and the others walked into the Hamada brother's room and looked around. They saw the other side of the room, where Tadashi use to sleep. Honey quickly looked away and walked over to Hiro's desk to get her mind off it.

She tilted her head and saw a scrunched up piece of paper. 'Warehouse 83' was what had been on the paper, so she made a mental note.

"Hiro is at the district of red lights." Baymax replied. He was told to lie to Aunt Cass, however not to his friends.

"Uh, the red light district? In San Fransokyo?" Wasabi asked in confusion.

"Yes."

"What's he doing there?" Gogo asked with a hint of annoyance. Of all the places their friend would go to, they didn't expect him to go to the red light district.

"He said he is looking for Jin Hideyoshi." Honey's brows scrunched up and she walked over to the robot, suddenly getting a uneasy feeling from all of this.

"Baymax, please tell us what's going on. Why would he just go there to look for someone? No one goes there unless it has to do with something illegal activities." she pleaded.

Baymax looked at the Latina for a moment and then played a video on his screen.

"_Looks like he runs an antique shop in San Fransokyo's red light district. Unless this is the wrong man."_

"_Stay here for me, will you?"_

"_Baymax, I'll be fine, okay? I'll be in and out before you know it."_

The video feed cut off, Baymax knew that he shouldn't show the clip of them meeting Tadashi on the hill. He then looked back at the group of friends, who all seemed a bit confused and rattled.

"We need to find him." Wasabi said, heading out the door. "Thank you Baymax." Honey said softly, hugging the nurse robot. The robot hugged back and let her pull away.

They all ran out of the Lucky Cat, saying goodbye to Aunt Cass. The last thing they wanted to do was scare his aunt so early in the evening.

"Where's that boy?" Cass mused, wondering why Hiro didn't come down with them. Although she was distracted again when another customer waved her over. The last few years were the busiest for the cafe. Right after the incident, many more people came to support the family and over time built their customers up in the process. Every year, a few of the neighbors would come over and bring gifts to lay next to the pictures of Mr. Hamada, Mrs. Hamada, and Tadashi.

The others knew that Hiro had a knack for getting into trouble, but the yakuza was another kind of trouble. That was at least what they speculated, over the years there has been a rise in yakuza affairs. There has been a decrease in civil crimes such as stealing, looting, and all of the rest. "I can't believe him, of all the things he would do." Gogo growled, gritting her teeth.

Fred rubbed his chin and remembered something from the video that Baymax showed. "I saw on Hiro's computer screen that the shop was called 'The Jade Dragon Antiques' or something. Maybe that's where he went." he offered.

Honey nodded quickly, searching frantically for that shop on her phone. She narrowed the search down by typing in the zipcode of the area Baymax mentioned. "Found it! Jade Dragon Antiques, it's the only one located in San Fransokyo's red light district." she said, handing the phone to Wasabi.

"Alright."

"Are you going to drive at the speed limit or am I going to have to take the wheel?" Gogo bluntly stated.

Wasabi looked over to the Korean woman and closed his mouth, he parked the car and got out of the driver's seat. Then he sat in the passenger's seat quietly.

"Please don't get my car dirty. I just got it cleaned and waxed." Wasabi squeaked. Gogo rolled her eyes in response and changed gears.

"Woman up." Gogo huffed, stepping on the gas.

Meanwhile, a baseball hat crowned teen ran through the alleys of the red light district. He could hear some shouting behind him, no doubt they were yakuza members.

"Whoa!" he cried, almost running into a car. He turned another way and hurdled over a sign pointing towards a brothel. He didn't know where he was going, right now his priority was actually getting out of sight. However he wasn't doing a very good job. Hiro knocked over some trash cans to slow his pursuers down and tried to make his path as random as possible.

The voices had gotten much farther, but that didn't stop him from continuing to run. _'Oh_ _no._'

Hiro groaned as he hit a road with no more alley ways, he was in one of the main streets and had encountered a large complex. He looked up and considered climbing, but he would be caught by then. Hiro felt his collar get tugged and suddenly he was surrounded by a group of geishas.

Hiro stood still, his eyes wide and his mouth clenched as he heard the men chasing him shout in Japanese. They were still looking for him. His body froze and he stopped breathing all the while, his heart was in his throat. Once the men's voices disappeared, the geishas stepped away from him.

"T-thank you." Hiro huffed, his heart felt like it was about to burst.

The girls smiled and nodded at him, making Hiro blush. He cleared his throat and was about to leave when a car honked at him from behind. Hiro almost jumped out of his socks, he looked over his shoulder and saw Wasabi's green car.

"Hiro, you better get in. Now." Gogo said, looking more crossed than usual. Hiro grinned nervously and skipped over to their car. The geishas waved at him and he waved back timidly. Then he pulled the car door open and scooted into the third seat.

"Look, it's not what you guys think – "

"What were you thinking Hiro, you could of gotten hurt?" Honey emitted. Fred nodded, "Dude you look like you ran through hell."

"I might as well have."

"We know you weren't at the brothels. Why are you looking for someone named Jin Hideyoshi?" Gogo asked, driving right out of the red district. How did they know? '_Baymax must of told them._'He pulled the hat off his head and rubbed his temple._  
><em>

"It's none of your guy's business, honestly." Hiro mumbled, feeling annoyed now.

Wasabi looked over his shoulder with a concern expression, "Hiro, we're your friends, we want to make sure you're okay. And if you need help, why do you think we're here?"

Hiro's expression softened and gently twisted the hat's visor anxiously. "It's a long story. I just need to talk to Jin Hideyoshi." he said softly.

The friends all exchanged glances except Hiro, who was staring out the window. "Why? What's so special about this person?" Honey asked. Hiro didn't want to snap at any of his friends, but his frustration of not being able to help his brother and not getting Atlas to work right prodded his mind.

"Nothing. Nothing at all. Please stop asking me." Hiro mumbled, his eyes fixated on the world outside.

They parked outside of Aunt Cass' café, by then it was already sunset. "Thanks for picking me up guys." Hiro murmured. He brushed the dirt off his hat and stepped out of the car.

"Hiro, if you need anything, we're here for you, okay?" Honey said, the others nodded in agreement.

Hiro smiled at them tiredly, "Thanks. I'm sorry I snapped, I really appreciate what you guys did for me. But for now, I'm fine. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

They parted ways and Hiro closed the car door, he watched it leave then turned to enter the café. He closed the door carefully and slowly tip toed up the stairs.

"Hiro Hamada get up here now!" Aunt Cass shouted. Hiro's eyes widened and he scuttled up the stairs to be face to face with his aunt, whose expression was nothing close to pleased.

"Baymax told me you went out for groceries. But I know you didn't because you left your wallet here young man." she scolded.

"Aunt Cass – "

Hiro did look disheveled, his hair was a mess, the hat was dirty, his clothes were the same and his shoes were wet and caked in some dirt. He could tell that she had been scared, there was a look in her eyes, the same look she had when she learned that Tadashi was in the fire.

"I'm sorry Aunt Cass." Hiro said softly, hanging his head. Her expression turned soft and she wrapped her arms around Hiro, placing her head against his shoulder. He certainly grew, he was taller than Aunt Cass now.

"I can't lose you too Hiro, not after Tadashi. Not ever. You two mean the world to me." she replied. Hiro returned the hug and sighed heavily, he could collapse at any moment. She leaned her head back and fixed his hair carefully.

"I won't do it again, I promise."

Cass smiled and kissed Hiro's head, she pulled away from him and wiped her tears. "Alright champ, go eat." He grinned brightly and pulled the hat off his head. He placed it onto the rack and followed Cass to the dinner table. Both of them chatted away the night to get past the moments earlier.

"I really hope he stops looking for that guy. It's asking for trouble." Gogo mused. She had let Wasabi drive from now on, she didn't need to anymore.

"I doubt it, the dude is determined." Fred said, looking at his phone to read the latest comic.

"We'll have to keep a close eye on him." Honey added. She had typed down 'Warehouse 83' onto her phone as a reminder. Why would he be at a warehouse? Why would he even need a warehouse? They sat in their silence, not even Fred wanted to speak. Honey softly tapped the screen of her phone, glancing at her other friends.

Honey finally spoke up, "Where are the warehouses in San Fransokyo?"

"Uh – everywhere?" Wasabi answered, keeping his eyes on the road.

Gogo rolled her eyes, and asked, "Why?"

"Because I found a piece of paper on Hiro's desk that said Warehouse 83." Honey confessed with a hint of guilt. She didn't like getting into other people's business unless they asked. But today proved that they might just need to get involved. Tadashi would of done the same.

Fred's eyes lit up, "What if he's hiding a super-secret weapon? Like a laser gun?! He did ask Wasabi about lasers, right?"

The explanation actually sounded sane, but still it didn't seem like Hiro. "Well let's not jump to conclusions yet. Are you guys doing anything tonight?"

Gogo, Wasabi, and Fred all shook their heads. The Latina smiled brightly and clapped her hands together, "Perfect, we can go warehouse hunting!"

Wasabi frowned, "But where do we even start?"

Fred scratched the bottom of his chin and quickly spoke up, "Well, where would Hiro want a warehouse at? Huh?"

"Wow, nice, you're on a roll Fred." Gogo complimented. Fred beamed in response and looked at the others.

"At the harbor? I mean, no one uses those warehouses anymore. After Krei was sued and fined for improper testing and endangering a human life, they shut down the factories over there." Honey stated.

Fred slammed his fist on his palm, "Right! So we go there and check out warehouse 83."

Wasabi made a U-turn and tapped the wheel nervously. "Are we just going to go in? What if there's something in there."

"This is Hiro we're talking about. What are you expecting?" Gogo bemused.

"Killer robot army. Or! Robot dinosaurs. Or! Or! Robotic killer laser guns." Fred suggested.

"No. No. And no." Gogo sighed.

They parked at one of the lots, it was empty all except for one black motorcycle. "Someone's here. Or they just left this here." Gogo said, walking over to the motorcycle. She inspected it and noticed that it wasn't a brand bike, it had been custom made. "Whoever made this needs to fix the alignment." she mused, popping the gum in her mouth.

"We should go. Like. Now." Wasabi suggested, he didn't like the tall ominous warehouses. Gogo pushed the tall man ahead, making him go first. "Come on Wasabi, we haven't done much saving in a while anyway. We might as well actually glance around."

"Okay, so, let's find 83." Honey stated, walking ahead of the group. The gently rocked against the harbor's docks, it was silent and dimly lit. There was only a few lights that were on, the rest died from not being maintained.

"I can barely read the numbers." Gogo mumbled, looking up. She squinted and could see a lot of the paint had chipped off the sides or were covered in graffiti.

"There, 83." Wasabi pointed. They walked around the large building, wondering where the entrance is exactly. "We should blow a hole inside."

"With what explosive Fred? And you want the cops to greet us?" Gogo sighed.

"Oh, I got my plasma cutter guys." Wasabi remembered. "Wait here, I'll get it from my car."

The other stood around, rubbing their arms from the cold air. Wasabi came back and activated them, "Stand back." They let Wasabi cut down the door with ease, then watched it fall forward. It made a loud slam that echoed through the warehouse and set up a cloud of dust and dirt in front of them.

The group carefully walked in, hearing the wind blow inside of the warehouse. "What is this place?" Honey asked softly.

They saw the tables with robot parts on them, they couldn't see much with the moonlight being the only source of illumination.

"Hiro works here?" Gogo asked, walking up to one of the tables. "Dude, this stuff looks like you can only buy it from the underground market." Fred pointed out.

"Why does Hiro need this much hydrogen peroxide?" Honey whispered, reading a label on one of the chemical barrels.

"This place looks like a lab. Does he sleep here? Theres a cot and some blankets." Wasabi asked. They shrugged, not knowing if he actually camped out in warehouse 83.

"Guys, I found a wheelchair! Look! It's pretty high-tech too." Fred told them, playing with it. They walked over to the wheelchair and inspected it. "This was built. I can tell, it's made by human hands." Gogo concluded.

"Hiro built this? But what for?"

"Not sure, but it's pretty cool." Fred grinned, playing around with the wheelchair.

A loud high pitched sound suddenly came out of nowhere, it startled the group and made them look up. A figure in a black motorcycle helmet, cargo pants, and combat boots came into view.

It made a noises again, slowly walking closer and closer. They could see the robotic frame against the pants, as well as the bat the enemy dragged.

"Go! Get to the door!" Honey shouted, covering her ears. They ran for the door and continued on until they reached the car. None of them were thinking whether it had followed them at the moment, Wasabi fumbled with the keys and eventually started the ignition.

"What was that?!" Fred exclaimed, slipping into the car.

"It's that thing Hiro showed us a day ago, remember?" Gogo answered, rubbing her ears. The sound sounded something like of a screech, but it wasn't enough to harm them, more or less stun them. But whatever it was, it rattled them all to the core.

"Everyone alright?" Wasabi asked.

"Yeah! Yeah! Just go! We won't be alright after that thing catches us!" Gogo said frantically. There were very few moments where Gogo was actually scared, this was one of them. They didn't understand a lot of what was happening. They didn't understand why there were robot parts or even that robot figure.

The warehouse alone was enough to confuse them, secrecy left room for assumptions. As for assumptions, it left room for fear and uncertainty.

"It's chasing us! Holy mother!" Fred shouted. The figure had just come around the corner and came right towards them, Wasabi realized this and stepped on the gas. The car ran right towards the figure, but it had enough time to step onto the hood and roll off to the side.

It ran to its motorcycle and went into pursuit. It quickly gained speed and was closing in on the car's behind.

"Wasabi so help me if we die I'm going to kill you as a ghost!" Gogo shouted. "Punch it!"

Wasabi pressed onto the gas and took a sharp turn towards the exit of the harbor. Once they left the harbor, the motorcycle figure stopped and watched them go. Honey and Fred watched it stop, relaxing against their seat.

"It stopped. Okay, well now we know, that thing is not human. It sounded like a freaking pterodactyl." Fred sighed, clutching his chest.

"Did Hiro make that thing? I mean, it was in the room with us." Honey said, her voice weak and shaky.

"Is it a guard? To guard his stuff? I don't even know." Wasabi sighed. All of them were tired and quite shaken. They relaxed into their seats, feeling at ease now that it was gone. The noise made their ears ring, it was an unbearable noise that could startle anyone.

"I don't know if I even want to lift that visor. What if it's some weird metal teethed animatronic or something? Where it eats people?" Fred said, his eyes sparkling in wonder.

"We'll ask him later. I mean, that thing, what if it hurts others? I know it's been slowing down crime, but still." Gogo said, ignoring Fred's comment.

They all nodded and agreed to ask Hiro later, for now the group was startled and frankly quite exhausted.

The motorcycle figure watched the car disappear into the San Fransokyo background, it reflected against its black visor. Then it rode the motorcycle back to the lot, carefully parking it. The figure wiped the blood off its jacket and began walking back.

The sound of metal against the asphalt sang against the waves of the harbor as the figure dragged the bat on the ground through the night.


	7. Surreal

Thank you for all of the comments you guys have given me so far, it's been a long time since I've been so passionate about a story. I hope I'm living up to your guy's expectations so far, because I'm still a quality over quantity type of person. I have noted some things I want to improve through my chapters, like providing more depth with whats actually going on around them. However, I hope you're enjoying what you've read so far. I have some pretty wild ideas I'll slowly be uncovering in the next few chapters that I'm anxious to show you lot. If you have any questions or want clarification about anything, please feel free to comment about it, it's what I'm here for! Anyway, I'm going to try to stay two chapters ahead and, dare I say it, I will try to upload a chapter every two days. If not, I won't try to be absent for more than four days, it's a challenge. *wink* Well, enjoy.

- D.R.

* * *

><p>"Whats going on here?" Hiro asked, striding ahead of the group. Hiro and the others had been on their way to the lab when they noticed police tape preventing them from entering. Police members stood around the area, checking any nook and cranny there was. "Excuse me," Hiro approached one of the officers, "what happened here?"<p>

The man closed his notepad and gestured to the broken glass on one of the windows. "Someone broke in late last night or possibly early dawn. But cameras were short circuited and the feed didn't catch the time of the crime." The officer continued to write, but then noticed Hiro slipping under the tape. "H-hey wait! You can't just go in there!"

Hiro ran for his lab, feeling a sense of dread overcome him when he remembered he didn't lock Atlas up. He outran the officers and stopped in front of his lab, eyes frantically searching for the black case. "Hey!" a hand grabbed his shoulder, but he gripped the edge of the door.

"They stole Atlas. They stole my invention." Hiro breathed. The officer's grip lessened as he peered into the room. "Cooper, this young man said one of his inventions were stolen. You might want to note that and ask him a few questions about it." the officer called.

"I'll be there." The officer patted Hiro's shoulder and walked away to check the other rooms. Hamada walked around the room, he heard a cracking sound and looked at the floor. Glass was strewn throughout his lab, coming from the glass pane and door.

"Why Atlas?" he breathed, looking around carefully. "Hiro." He looked over his shoulders and found his friends standing at the doorway. "They let us in. But, we heard what happened." Honey inquired softly.

Hiro nodded his head and pulled his chair from the desk, he sat plopped down with an exasperated sigh. Pulling the hat from his head, he hung it atop the lamp and clasped his hands together. Hiro had put so much time and effort into Atlas.

Atlas was a one of a kind invention, it was a project birthed and molded in Hiro's mind. Every small detail on Atlas was something Hiro was proud of, having being stripped from it feels almost wrong.

An empty look crossed his face, the tired inventor didn't know where to go from here. Gogo walked over and hugged Hiro, who sighed silently and hugged her back. "This isn't over, Hiro. We'll find out who did this, okay?"

Hiro nodded slowly against the fabric of her shirt and a soft smile adorned the biker's face. "Alright, woman up, let's look around." Gogo stated, patting the eighteen year old's back.

She pulled away and he stood up from his chair, he nodded towards the door and left his lab station.

As they peered into each lab, they heard one of the officers, "We found a bat next to one of the windows. Metal with a black grip, it says Muramasa on the side."

Immediately the others except Hiro already had a suspect in mind. They remembered that figure all too vividly last night, they glanced at one another but continued to follow Hiro. The group wanted answers now, since it seemed that they were all involved anyway.

"Hiro, we need to ask you some questions." Honey insisted. "Sure, ask away." he replied.

"Not here, somewhere else, like away from the scene." Gogo followed up. Hiro looked over his shoulders in curiosity, then slowly nodded. He beckoned them to follow him and they left the crime scene to head to the bridge.

Hiro leaned his elbows against the wooden frame of the structure that overlooked SFIT. "So?" Hiro nudged.

"Well, when we went to get you, we saw the paper that said warehouse 83 on it. So after we dropped you off we – "

"Checked it out?" Hiro finished with a frown. His friends nodded and he breathed in heavily, they saw Tadashi, how would he explain this?

"We didn't touch anything man. We just saw your workbench and some cool wheelchair thing on the side." Fred insisted. Hiro's mouth closed, just as he was about to ask about Tadashi.

"Uh – yeah that's right." he nodded slowly, confused as to how they didn't see Tadashi. "No one else was in there?"

Gogo shrugged and leaned against the railing, "No, not that we know of. Except…"

"Killer motorcycle robot thing. It came out of nowhere. You know that article you showed us about that thing that's been catching criminals, it was at your warehouse dude. Did you program that thing?" Wasabi asked concernedly.

"What? Killer motorcycle robot? No, of course not. – Wait did you say it was at the warehouse?" Hiro asked, his eyes wide and his blood cold. "Yeah."

"No one was inside? And you found a wheelchair?" he asked, almost losing his voice. Fear struck in his eyes, he lost his brother again. "Wasabi, please take me there." Hiro begged.

"What? Why Hiro? What if that thing is there again?" he shook his head.

"I just need to go there. Please." They saw the desperation and fear in his eyes, it was heartbreaking. Honey laid a hand on Wasabi's arm and nodded to him. "Let's go." she said.

The friends loaded up into the car and left for the harbor. "But please Hiro, explain to us why you're in that warehouse. What are you building?" Honey pleaded.

"I'm – I'm not building anything. I didn't build that thing. I don't know what it is or what it's doing at my br – at that warehouse." Hiro quickly stated. His words were jumbled and his foot was tapping the floor like a mad man.

"Then why are you there?" Gogo demanded, her voice firm. "I was exploring." Hiro lied.

"Stop it Hiro. We know you're lying, we just want to help you and keep you safe. First Jin Hideyoshi, now this!" Gogo was looking at Hiro now, face to face, she had unbuckled her seatbelt just to look him in the eye.

The inventor's mouth opened and then closed. He broke contact with Gogo's brown eyes and chewed the bottom of his lip. How long could he keep secrets? "I'll explain it all, once I see the warehouse." he concluded.

Gogo slipped back into the passenger's seat and crossed her arms across her chest. Wasabi parked the car at the same lot they had been at the night before. To their worries, they saw the black motorcycle parked in a different spot in the lot.

"Hiro, that thing is here." Wasabi choked. Gogo pulled out the mag disc launchers from her bag, deciding to keep it with her after what happened yesterday night.

"Okay, eyes peeled. I need to get to that warehouse." Hiro took the lead and the others followed closely. Hiro hugged the walls as they ran from cover to cover, little did they know they had been already detected.

Hiro stopped in front of the broken door, noticing that it had been opened by some heated object. "Did it do this?" Hiro asked breathlessly.

"No I did." Wasabi answered. "Hm."

Hiro walked into the warehouse and noticed most of the stuff gone. The wheelchair was still there, but the robot parts and tools had been taken. "Who did this?" Hiro put his face to his hands and groaned, he felt an overwhelming wave of guilt hit him. "I shouldn't have left you here." he muttered.

"Who? Who shouldn't you have left?" Honey asked, stepping forward. Hiro looked over his shoulder and saw the concern written in her eyes, just as he was about to answer, a shrieking noise pierced the air.

"Agh!" The heroes placed their hands over their ears and stumbled back. The motorcycle clad figure jumped from the ramps and landed a few feet from them. It continued to make the noise, getting closer and closer, the closer it got, the more the noise bothered them.

Gogo yelled and send a disc flying its way, the projectile hit the visor and dented it just a bit. "Go for the helmet! It'll stop the noise!" Hiro shouted, stumbling up. He ran to the workbenches and found a heavy wrench.

It jumped back as soon as Honey launched one of her chemical bombs at it. Gogo ran after it and send a disc flying its way, it dodged again and began emitting the noise once more. The disc that missed came flying back, hitting the thing right in the back of the head.

It rolled out of Wasabi's blade and jumped forward, tackling the man and slamming him against one of the chemical barrels. Then it pulled out a pair of bolas and threw it at Gogo, making her trip and fall forward.

"Wasabi!" Hiro yelled. As soon as the thing turned around, Wasabi's blade sliced the pant leg just enough to have it cut the robot frame underneath.

The thing collapsed on one side and a few sparks and hisses came from the torn frame. It stood up on one leg, the other being limp and took out another bola. A bomb hit him in the arm, making it freeze up as soon as it was about to throw the bola.

It pointed its arm to one of the pillars and launched an auto rappel spike into the concrete stone. Then it pulled itself away from Wasabi and slammed its arm onto the ground to get rid of the material.

Hiro had caught up to it and swung a wrench from behind, but the forearm of the robot caught it and he heard the sound of metal break. It grabbed Hiro's collar and shoved him away quickly, having him land a few feet away.

It pointed its free arm towards one of the ramp railings and sent a rappel to get up. "It's getting away!" Gogo shouted, trying to free herself from the bola. As soon as she said that, the figure was pulled up by some auto mechanism in the wrist rappel.

Honey had only brought a limited amount of containers, however she quickly tapped a chemical concoction into her purse and tossed threw it at the retreating figure.

It had a hard time getting a footing, but Honey's bomb had glued him onto the ramp. Once Gogo's hands were free, she sent a disc its way, cutting the rope and knocking the figure off the ramp.

The motorcycle clad hostile fell from the ramp and onto the floor, its visor had a huge crack in it now and the hissing from its frame had died down. It had landed on its left side, breaking the remaining leg frame.

"We got it." Wasabi breathed. The others regained their composure and they slowly approached the immobile humanoid. "What is it? Someone check." Honey said, afraid to touch it.

Hiro grabbed the wrench and walked over to it slowly, he kneeled down slowly next to it and reached for the black visor. As soon as he got close, the hand Honey had frozen shot up and grabbed Hiro's wrist.

"Hiro!" The young man slammed the wrench onto the figure's arm, letting it collapse. Hiro pushed the visor up, his breath caught in his throat. His eyes widened and he realized that this thing wasn't a thing after all. Beneath the visor were a set of brown eyes and the rest covered by a black face mask.

What set off the alarm was the burnt scars that peeked from the edge of the mask. The mysterious person also had a particularly cloudy right eye.

He recognized the pair of eyes, he knew it well and it stared at him, blinking slowly. Hiro closed the visor slowly and hunched over the person's chest. His shoulders shook and he began crying, realizing what he had done. A hand landed gently on Hiro's back and the others immediately ran to Hiro.

"Move Hiro!" Gogo shouted. Hiro's hand shot up to shield the person in the helmet. "Wait! Wait." They stopped and frowned. "What?"

Hiro looked at the visor and the figure slowly nodded. "This thing, isn't a thing. It's a person, a 'he'." he said softly. Gogo and the others eyes widened, it acted so much like a robot.

Hiro moved out of the way as the immobile individual sat up. He put his hands around the helmet and lifted it off his head to reveal someone in a face mask. They could see some blood running down the person's brow. Honey's eyes widened and her legs shook, she also recognized those eyes.

Her breathing almost halted as she saw the shade of brown that gleamed in the light. The figure tugged the facemask off and let his hands fall to his sides.

A beaten and tired looking Tadashi Hamada laid underneath the mask, having a bruise or two on his neck, a bloody busted lip, and other assortments of wounds.

Tadashi didn't move, he didn't turn his head to look at the others, he simply looked ahead of him. He was scared, he was genuinely afraid of what the others thought. Honey was the first to collapse onto her knees, years of not knowing what happened to Tadashi and grief weakened her to this point. Her purse fell to the floor as she made her way over to him and wrapped her arms around him tightly, crying against his neck.

Even tears spilled from Gogo's eyes, she never thought she would ever see her friend again. Wasabi placed his hand over his eyes and squeezed them shut. Both of them joined Honey and embraced the tired but stunned man. He expected them to be angry, to yell at him, but he figured that might come later.

Hiro joined them soon enough and the friends leaned on one another for comfort. He slowly raised his hands and tried to embrace all four of them at once, he breathed in deeply and sighed. Tadashi cried with them, happy to finally be this close to his friends. It had been a long time and he missed hearing their voices so near to him, it felt surreal.

"Hey." Tadashi whispered.

Honey looked up, her makeup had ran from her tears, "H – Hey? That's all you're going to say?" Tadashi smiled bitterly and felt Gogo gently punch his shoulder. "T-that has to be the stupidest thing anyone has said at a situation like this." she laughed shakily.

"You okay Wasabi?" Tadashi laughed weakly, tears springing from his eyes. He slipped his motor gloves off and set them aside.

"Y-yeah, just give me a minute man." Wasabi waved.

Honey sniffled and rubbed her eyes with her sleeve, staring at Tadashi as if it was a dream. She reached out and gently ghosted her fingertips against his cheek and then to his lips, taking note of the bleeding. She also saw the burn scars that patterned the right side of his face. Tadashi slowly looked away, wanting to suddenly hide his face from all of them.

"I can't believe it. All these years, you've been alive. " she whispered, biting the bottom of her lip.

"I am, I'm alive." he said softly. He slipped his hand to meet hers, pulling it from his face and giving it a gentle squeeze.

Silence settled comfortably between all of them, time could stand still and it wouldn't matter.

"We… we beat you up." Gogo concluded, laughing through the remainder of her crying. "You guys did, my gosh, Hiro really suited you guys up well." Tadashi spoke, looking at Hiro.

"What happened Tadashi? Why did you attack us?" Wasabi asked, his brows knitting together.

"I lived here. Hiro knows. I wasn't ready to face you guys yet. You caught me just as I was heading back from a crime scene. But I wasn't ready. I didn't know what to expect." he explained shortly.

"I needed to ward you guys away. I wanted enough time so I could move everything out of this place."

Tadashi looked at his wheelchair and then to Hiro, who knew what he wanted. His younger brother got up and wheeled the aid over to Tadashi. His friend's eyes widened as they finally understood why there was a wheelchair in the warehouse. It was for him.

Tadashi grabbed the sides and carefully hoisted himself up, Hiro stepped forward to help but Tadashi shook his head as he collapsed into the chair. "This is who I am now." he said softly. A look of bitter resentment crossed the wounded man's expression, he didn't like how they looked at him.

Tadashi unzipped his motorcycle jacket and unhooked the exoskeleton that laid underneath. He slipped the frame off and put them onto the floor. He wiped his lip with his long sleeved white shirt and began wheeling himself away.

"Wait, Tadashi." Honey's hand grabbed hold of the back of the wheelchair. Tadashi turned around, an expression of shame and discomfort on his face. It broke Honey's heart to see her friend like this, it was something she never saw in him.

She carefully hugged him and rested her chin on his head. "If you think we're bothered by the scars, we're not. Stop beating yourself up, I hate seeing you like this." she whispered softly.

"Can I help it?" Tadashi smiled bitterly. He returned the hug, gingerly wrapping his arms around her waist. Gogo and the other's placed their hands on his shoulder as Tadashi pulled away. "We're here for you Tadashi. You know that." Gogo reassured.

"If you think we'd abandon you just because of what happened, you're so wrong." Wasabi stated confidently. A small grin came over HIro's features as he watched them reunite. He grabbed the helmet from the ground and looked at it. There were multiple scratch marks and chipped pieces onto it.

The slits on the side was where the noise was coming from, he figured that Tadashi programed a sort of console system to show on the visor.

"What do you think about the helmet?" Tadashi asked, looking at Hiro. The younger Hamada chuckled and walked over, flipping the visor back and forth. "It could use some touch ups."

Honey touched Tadashi's shoulder, "Are you still going to live here?"

"Yeah, why?" Tadashi asked, wheeling himself to his cot. He carefully pushed himself up and transferred himself over to the bed, clearly looking like he was in pain.

"Well first of all, you kind of almost have nothing here. Also, Wasabi broke down your front door. Or cut it down, I guess." Gogo remarked.

"Yeah, dude sorry about the door." Wasabi mumbled, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

"It's fine, I'll replace it later." Tadashi nodded.

"He doesn't want to move in with us, he doesn't know how to explain it to Aunt Cass. Frankly, I don't know how to either." Hiro confessed as he leaned against one of the tables.

Gogo, Honey, and Wasabi looked at each other for a solution. "My house is full. My grandma is over too." Wasabi said.

"My parents wouldn't allow a guy in the house, let alone those workbenches." Gogo shrugged, pointing a thumb towards the work stations. "I've crowded their garage up enough."

"I have an apartment you could move into. But it's not that big." Honey offered, looking at Tadashi.

"Guys, honestly, I don't need to move. It's not a big deal." the twenty one year old replied.

Honey huffed, looking annoyed at the stubborn boy. "Tadashi Hamada I've never seen you so thick headed until now. Hiro is probably worried sick about you and you're living in a warehouse without a care in the world." Tadashi rolled his eyes and laid on his bed, turning his back to them. "I have my reasons about – "

The blonde turned Tadashi over and made him look at her. "Tadashi, if your got hurt again or… even worse – how do you think Hiro would feel? How would we feel? Be reasonable." she commanded.

Gogo, Wasabi, and Hiro looked at each other wide eyed. "I've never seen her so upfront." Wasabi whispered to Gogo. The biker nodded in agreement and watched them.

"Theres a storage place near my apartment you can put your workbenches at. It's a ten minute walk – um wheel, sorry."

"No offense taken." Tadashi broke eye contact, Honey was headstrong, but the look in her eyes showed her confidence on a whole new level.

"Look me in the eye. We care about you. I care about you, okay?" Honey whispered, her vision was skewed from the tears that formed in her eyes. Her neat blonde bun was now disheveled and her eyes were puffy.

Tadashi's gaze softened as he felt her tears hit his face. "Okay, don't make it rain on me. I'll come with, okay? Stop crying now, Honey." he hushed playfully. Tadashi sat up and pulled her into a hug. Hiro knew that Honey was one of the hardest persons hit by his 'death'.

They were close, no one really knew how close. But he figured if they were romantically involved, both Tadashi and Honey were afraid their relationship might break the gang. They didn't want to lose their friends, so they stayed quiet.

She kept a strong face and will, always trying to be the cheeriest of the group even in the darkest days. Now she could finally let that down after knowing that Tadashi didn't really perish in the flames.

Tadashi rested his chin on Honey's shoulder and smiled at the others. "I hope I don't smell too much. I have to use the public showers down at the community pool." he joked, trying to make Honey laugh.

"Shut up you're not funny." Honey hiccuped.

Gogo, Hiro, and Wasabi burst out into light laughter from the remark. "I know, it's been three years and I still haven't gotten a sense of humor."

Honey pulled away from Tadashi and carefully wiped her tears with her hand. She put a brave face on, her cries reduced to small inconsistent hiccups. "When do you want to move?" she asked, letting her hands fall to her lap.

"Tomorrow will be fine. I have to get my stuff ready." he said as he fiddled with the hem of his shirt. "By the way, where's Fred?"

"He had to be at the rally ceremony today as the school mascot." Gogo answered. "He's going to be so amazed to see you." Wasabi commented. Fred would be ecstatic to see Tadashi, he was sure he would need to buy tissues from now on.

Honey nodded in agreement and stood up from the cot. She picked her purse up from the ground and fixed her hair so she didn't look like she ran through a hurricane.

His friends could tell that he wasn't in the best condition, moving him now would just make it worse. There was a dull glow in his eyes, even his movement was slow and sluggish. There was a cover of guilt covering the four for attacking him, but what choice did they have? Tadashi's motives still seemed unclear to them, but they figured asking him now would just cause further distress.

Tadashi rubbed his arms and reached for his jacket, he slipped it on and glanced at a cracked clock on the workbench. He felt some fingers touch his chin, "Let me see your face Tadashi." Honey pulled out a cloth and gently tilted Tadashi's head up towards her.

She wiped the blood off his lip and looked over her shoulder. "Is there a first aid kit or something here?"

"Under the bed." Tadashi strained, wincing as she touched one of the bruises.

Gogo pushed the bag of chips out of the way and grabbed the plastic case with a cross on it. She popped it open and saw the assortment of pain killers, bandages, ointments, and other medical instruments.

"Hold still." Honey sat on the edge of the cot and worked on the twenty one year old. Tadashi grimaced a couple of times, she wanted to treat the wounds under his shirt, but he refused. He was like a kid, squirming every now and then.

"I look like I got attacked by a bear." Tadashi remarked, disheartened at his appearance.

"Three bears." Wasabi replied, then jutted his thumb at Hiro, "And one cub."

Hiro glared at Wasabi and mumbled something about how he was ill prepared.

"Where's the strong Tadashi Hamada we saw before?" Gogo mused, crossing her arms.

"Suffering in his self-pity." he lamented.

"Man, we need to get you some fresh air and sunlight." Hiro suggested, taking his hat off. He placed it on top of Tadashi's head, it still looked good on him.

"I agree, the dopamine charts are plummeting Tadashi." Gogo stated, crossing his arms over his chest. Then the biker recalled the incident earlier, she remembered that the detectives at the scene mentioned finding a bat near one of the windows. Honey continued to check Tadashi over, rummaging through the kit for the appropriate tools and medication.

"Tadashi, someone broke into SFIT's labs either last night or this morning." Gogo said, watching Honey tend to the man.

"W-what? Why?"

She shrugged and pulled out a pack of gum, then used a piece. "We don't know. But they found a bat at the scene of the crime and – "

"You think I did it." Tadashi finished, he hissed as Honey pressed a piece of gauze against his wound.

Hiro frowned, he didn't hear anything about this, what would a bat and his brother have anything to do with it? "Wait, what? Tadashi wouldn't do something like this." he defended, stepping closer to the group.

Wasabi scratched the back of his neck and gestured to the pile of equipment Tadashi had, "When you attacked us last night, you were holding a bat. We didn't see what was on it, but it was metal."

Honey's eyes watched him for a response as she checked on an open wound above his brow. "I didn't raid SFIT's labs, why would I need to?" Tadashi asked calmly. He felt a bit attacked, but he couldn't blame his friends. Everything that just happened seem so sudden.

"Did they take anything?" he asked, looking around the room.

"They took Atlas." Hiro said, crossing his arms across his chest. Honey carefully took a piece of gauze off, realizing she didn't put it on right.

Tadashi grimaced, "And you didn't put a tracker?"

Hiro's eyes widened, how could he be so ignorant? "You're right! I put a tracker in Atlas for safety purposes." he exclaimed, snapping his finger.

"Great, you could have done that sooner." Gogo sighed, rolling her eyes. "I forgot, okay? I was too caught up with this – stuff."

Hiro took in a deep breath and looked at his watch. "I just need to get back to the lab, hopefully they'll let us back in." He turned to Tadashi, who glared at Honey every now and then.

"Are you going to be okay here, T?"

"Yeah I'll be – ow! Honey, why're you so rough?" he growled.

Honey stopped looked at him with an expression that could kill, "Maybe if you stopped moving so much and squirming, this would be much quicker."

"They're like a married couple." Wasabi commented.

"I know right, it's kinda gross." Gogo replied, popping her gum.

"So, are you guys coming?" Hiro asked the three. Gogo and Wasabi nodded, Honey looked up from her patient and stopped to reply.

"Give me a minute, Tadashi is being a big baby." she teased. Tadashi was sure that Honey was getting back at him for being gone all these years. "You're so evil."

"You love it." Honey finished and put the kit away, she sat up from the cot and smiled at her handiwork. "See? That wasn't so bad."

Tadashi huffed and laid back down on his side. "Yeah huh." he grunted. Then the man turned his back to them and covered himself with a blanket. Hiro chuckled as he leaned against the frame of the door. He never seen Tadashi act so defiantly.

"I'll meet you guys at Wasabi's car." Hiro walked out of the room, shortly Wasabi and Gogo followed after.

Honey looked at Tadashi shortly, she didn't understand why he changed so much. But then again, he lost control of his legs, which would have taken a toll on his personality a great deal. "Hey, we'll be back, okay?"

Tadashi didn't answer, but he simply nodded slowly. She patted his shoulder and began walking out of the warehouse. As soon as the sound of her heels were out of earshot, he slowly sat up. Tadashi looked around the warehouse, he was alone again.

He stared at the open door for a few minutes, till he grabbed his wheelchair and carefully transferred himself onto it. "Back to work."

Tadashi grabbed his broken gear and set it upon the workbenches, he raised the height of the wheelchair to reach the top. Then he began repairing the exoskeleton, slightly annoyed that it was broken in the first place.

"What happened to Tadashi, Hiro?" Honey asked, glancing at the teen. She was concerned with how cold he seemed, even distant. Honey always had seen him to be quite light hearted, now he seemed far and disconnected. Hiro fidgeted in his seat, debating whether he should tell them about what happened to his brother.

"It's complicated. Maybe after we find Atlas, I'll tell you guys."


	8. Disorder

To answer the anons who pointed out Honey's letter, don't worry hehe, I have a use for it later. :) I just wanted to save it for a later time in the story and I figured Hiro would forget about because he's so caught up in aiding his brother and now the Atlas crisis. At the same time, the following events that are going to happen sometime leaves little room for romance. But don't fret, I'll make the best of it later. :)

- D.R.

* * *

><p>Hiro hopped out of the car and saw that there were more people crowding the scene of the crime. "Excuse me." He squeezed past some of the onlookers and stepped under the tape.<p>

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to step back." ordered one of the officers.

"I have to get in there, I'm one of the people working in the lab that was raided." Hiro confessed.

The officer looked at him from head to toe for any indication of lying, then he beckoned him to follow. "I'll have to escort you there sir."

Hiro nodded and followed the man, the officer let him take the lead, before entering his own station. He was sure the enforcer would not allow him to take anything from the scene, so he needed to distract him.

He saw the edge of the handheld device sticking out of the bottom of the table. It laid in some glass, indicating that it was knocked over along while they were raiding the building.

"Over there, that was where my invention use to be." The officer turned his back and looked at the cluttered table, he glanced around a bit in curiosity. Hiro took the opportunity to grab the tracker under the table and slip it into his jacket.

"What was over here?"

"It was a case, just of a robot." he replied casually.

The officer looked back at him, "You file a report kid?"

"Uh, yeah. Yeah I did." he nodded quickly. The officer nodded and escorted Hiro back out to the boundary of the yellow tape.

"Got it?" Gogo asked as Hiro walked away from the onlookers. "Got it."

"Hey guys!" Fred's voice rang out from across the parking lot, he was in his mascot suit. "Hey Fred, how was the rally?" Wasabi asked.

"It was awesome, because you know, I was there." he smirked to himself. Fred looked past the group and saw the police tape and bystanders gathering at the lab.

"What happened there?" he pointed as he followed the group.

"Someone raided the lab last night or sometime this morning. They took my exoskeleton Atlas, but I don't know what else they took." Hiro answered, fiddling with the tracker. He got it to turn on and slowly hone in on the case.

"What?! No! Can you find it? Dude, who would do that?" Fred frowned.

"Yeah, this is what this thing is for. Also, we don't know who did it. But I figured once we find Atlas, we'll find out who did it." Hiro said.

His tracker wasn't visually high tech, but it was accurate. It looked like a standard radar with a few additions to it. They got into the car and let Hiro look at the dot for a moment. "It's not moving, so it's more than likely stationary."

Wasabi listened to Hiro's directions as he drove through San Fransokyo. While they were busy, the others noticed that they were slowly entering the less than likable parts of the city. Soon they entered the red light district, cutting through the narrow streets.

"Slow down, Atlas is getting closer. We should probably stop here to avoid being seen." Hiro suggested. They agreed and slipped out of the car silently.

"Fred, can you please get out of your costume. I don't think parading in a monster suit is going to be very helpful." Honey whispered.

A pout came over Fred's expression as he slipped out of the mascot and tucked it into Wasabi's car.

"After you big guy." Wasabi told Hiro.

They followed the young man through the back streets of what seemed to be Yakuza territory. They could see certain consistent symbols that indicated they were no longer in the main city.

None of them spoke at all, afraid that someone could hear them around any corner. Hiro's tracker led them to an old factory, a building similar to the one Hiro found his microbots in. The entrance was of course chained and shut, so they hugged the walls to find another way.

"Here." Hiro whispered, gently pushing a window.

He stuck his head in first, looking for any signs of life or movement. "Clear." he breathed. Fred seemed to be the one who was excited about what they were doing, he had a clear look of happiness on his face.

Hiro pressed his shoulder against a parked truck and listened closely. The building was enormous, so catching the echoes was no problem. They could hear the sound of tools and conveyor belts moving, loud hisses and other noises followed up behind it.

He tucked the tracker away and began moving closer and closer. "Wait here, I need to see for myself." Hiro whispered to them. They nodded and watched the eighteen year old bolt for cover behind some barrels.

His brown eyes fixated on what looked like a long conveyor belt with robot arms attending to it. He could tell that the building use to be an old car factory, signs with the car's brand name hung loosely on the walls.

But what intrigued him even more was the robot arms themselves, they were stolen from the labs. He looked up and decided to get an overhead view of the whole production line. Hiro carefully climbed the stairs and pressed himself against one of the shadow of the pillars.

"They're mass producing limbs." he croaked under his breath. There were separate conveyor lines for each limb, but how? Hiro's eyes landed on a pile of metal limbs, he recognized it because the original Atlas had the signature 'B-7' on it.

His blood ran cold all the while anger began to well up inside him. They had taken Atlas apart to mass produce him. For what though? That was his biggest question. He ducked his head when two men clad in black checked on the conveyor belts.

The production line led to another part of the building, it seemed that it was entering another stage.

Hiro waited for the men to exit the building before he rendezvoused with his friends downstairs. "They're making more of Atlas. It looks like they pulled the limbs apart and had it all 3D scanned. "

A look of fear and uncertainty flashed in his eyes, it was just like three years ago when his microbots were replicated. "We need to shut down this facility. Now." Hiro concluded. His friends stared at him, awaiting a plan to be made.

"I just need to figure out where the main computer is. We can't just go one by one, breaking the machines. It's too tedious." Hiro's eyes stopped on some thick metal tubes that ran along the wall, it seemed that they were casings for the wires.

"You have your plasma blades Wasabi?" he asked. The man shook his head, it was too late to go back anyway. His eyes followed the metal tubes and saw that they entered another room. The entrance was covered by semi-clear plastic dividers.

Hiro glanced back at his friends, "Follow my lead carefully, I saw some guys in black earlier." They silently bobbed their heads and followed Hiro. He went from barrel to barrel and eventually ended up against the side of one of the belts.

He made his way towards the plastic dividers and slowly slipped into the room. His hat fell from his head, slipping under one of the production lines. Immediately, he went right into cover behind some of the closest crates he could reach. His heart stopped as he heard male voices falter in.

"We've got most of the frames assembled, we're shipping the first batch now." the man spoke. No one talked back so Hiro guessed he was speaking to someone on the phone. "Oh yeah, the coding was transferred and I sent it already."

Footsteps melted with the sound of the production line bots that pieced the limbs together.

"He should let you in, if he doesn't, just mention my name. Say, 'Jin Hideyoshi sent me' and everything is smooth sailing from there." Hiro's eyes widened as he heard the name, the man at the factory was Jin Hideyoshi. He peeked just a bit from the shadow of the crates and saw the back of the man's head.

It had to be Hideyoshi, he had the same hair that Callaghan mentioned. When the figure finally turned around, Hiro saw the crescent scar that he had told him. "It's him." he said under his breath as he retreated back to cover.

"You sure?" Wasabi whispered.

"Yeah, Callaghan told me his description."

Now it was the waiting game, they continued to listen to Jin talk, but didn't move a muscle. Finally, they heard his footsteps fade and a door slam shut. "Damn, he was right there. I could of gotten the boss' name right there." Hiro rubbed his eyes with his hand and peeked over the crates again.

"Okay, let's get this done with." Hiro followed the metal tubes that led up to the second floor ramps. He carefully climbed up the metal ladders along with the rest behind him. "Can your footsteps be any louder?" Gogo growled lowly at Fred.

Hiro held up a hand and saw the station paned with clear glass. No one was inside, but he glanced around to make sure. Then he motioned them to follow him into the station. He flipped the light switch off from within to make them harder to see. Then he sat on the chair of the console station and leaned over the controls.

"Know what you're doing?" Gogo asked, looking through the door window.

"Yeah, I think. Give me a minute." Hiro flipped through various command prompts and databases. His fingers typed furiously on the keyboard as he searched the computer for any way of sabotage.

"This thing has a heck of a protection system." he mumbled. The typing sound died down and Hiro leaned back on his chair. "Nothing."

"Nothing?" Honey leaned in.

"The place that I'm wanting to access is denying me. It's a closed network named Terminus. The protection system is its own system." Hiro tapped his feet furiously, his friends were just as anxious. He bit the bottom of his lip and cupped his pockets for an object.

"Can't we just smash the console?" Gogo suggested, still staring intently out the door window.

"They can repair this right up, we need to destroy this and the workers. It's like a disease starting at the brain, slowly shutting down the limbs." he explained.

"What're you looking for?" Fred asked, looking over Hiro's shoulder.

"This." Hiro pulled out a red unlabeled USB stick from his trouser pocket. "A USB?" Wasabi inquired.

The inventor leaned his head under the console station and felt around for a USB port. "It's a memory stick containing a virus. Or a worm actually."

He plugged the red USB stick in and waited for it to read it. "So you're going to infect it?"

"I'm going to infect Terminus and shut it down. Then I can get access to the actual database, hopefully." Hiro muttered, he waited for a few seconds, until the worm finally ran rampant.

"Great, it's working. Now if I can just open this…" He forced the computer to open the central database, then allowed the worm to get into it. "It'll do the work for us. By the time they stop it, if they can, all of those bots will be inoperable. It's sort of destroys and scrambles, so unless they had the original coding for all of those robots, which I highly doubt, they can't fix them."

Hiro pulled the USB out and placed it in his pockets.

They glanced out of the window as they heard some banging against metal. Suddenly, the whole factory was filled with the sound of robotic chaos. The arms working on the conveyor belts had begun to act up, some smashed itself repeatedly against the top. Some of them broke whatever limb there were working on, others broke themselves or other arms, and some simply slumped over and stopped working.

"Let's go before they find us here." Hiro covered his ears, the sound was actually quite disturbing. "What the hell is going on?!" It was Jin, he was sure that he was not alone. "Check the console!" Hideyoshi screamed.

Hiro nudged his friends over to an open window and climbed down carefully. "Come on, come on." he beckoned. The five of them helped each other down before they were seen by any guards.

"That was brilliant." Honey beamed. Hiro smiled shortly and continued to make his way out of the area. As soon as they were out of range, they broke into a sprint for Wasabi's car. "We didn't get Atlas, but at least we stopped that place."

They all slipped into the car and Wasabi immediately backed up and out of the area. "We still need to find out what they're doing with those bots. You heard Jin, they shipped the first batch." Gogo pointed out.

Gogo was right, Hiro realized that he had lost control of the situation so quickly. He had no clue where the shipments were going or what they were for. All he could do was speculate and hope he finds out soon. Hiro didn't want to be oblivious to the fact that the yakuza had control of superhuman exoskeletons.

He thought about it and felt a chill creep up his spine, Hiro was afraid he wouldn't be able to stop them. "So, now what?" Wasabi asked, glancing at the mirror as he drove.

Hiro bit the bottom of his lip and tapped his feet slowly. "I'm thinking. Jin said he sent the coding out, I can only guess he extracted the coding from Atlas and replicated it. So, that means they must have more than one factory."

Silence fell over the group as they realized that this situation was even bigger than they thought it was. Normal college kids didn't really have to worry about keeping a whole city safe or the possibility of having rampant superhuman yakuza thugs roaming the streets.

Hiro leaned his elbow against the car door's armrest and stared out the window. "We need to talk to my brother."

"Um – what?" Fred frowned, startled by his request. "Are you okay little dude?"

Honey and the others looked at each other and fidgeted, forgetting that Fred didn't know. Hiro cleared his throat and turned to the blonde man, "Tadashi is alive."

Fred's eyes lit up and the expression on his face turned to pure euphoric joy. "Are you serious? This isn't a joke right?" he bounced.

"That would be one sick joke."

"He's really alive?! Where is he?!" Fred inquired ecstatically. Hiro pressed his hands against Fred's shoulders to calm him down. "We're going to see him right now. He lives at the harbor. Or I guess you can say he squats there."

"Dude this is – how'd you guys find out?" Playful guilt crossed Honey, Wasabi, and Gogo's expression as the remembered how they ran into him. "We sort of, oh I don't know, beat him up?" Gogo responded, sounding confused.

"What? Why?" Fred looked disapprovingly. Honey placed a hand on his shoulder, "We didn't mean to Fred, he came at us. But for good reasons, he didn't want us to see him yet I guess. He also was trying to ward as off and move his stuff since we found out where he lived."

Fred nodded slowly, letting the information sink in. "Whoa, so how did he survive? He's like Captain Killgar from Ultra Comics issue 4, where they find him crystalized and they break him out – "

"We don't know, Hiro does, but he hasn't told us." Hiro felt guilty for keeping it to himself this whole time, but at this point, all of them were already involved. "Tadashi will probably explain it, I have questions anyway that's going to pertain to what happened those years ago."

Fred made an 'oh' face and relaxed in his seat, but he get more and more joyful as they got closer and closer to the harbor. Hiro felt like all roads led to his brother, it always went back to him for some reason. Once they arrived at the lot, they all got out and followed Hiro to the warehouse.

"Looks like he fixed his door, somewhat." Hiro tapped on the piece of plywood plank that covered what once was the metal door. He tapped on it again before it was swung open. There sat a very tired looking man in his wheelchair.

His brow raised as he saw Fred among the group. "Tadashi!" he exclaimed as he pushed past the others. He threw his arms around his dear friend and hugged him tightly.

"Ow – ow Fred. The arms." Tadashi wheezed. Fred quickly apologized and loosened his hug. "Dude, sorry, but I'm just so happy man." Tadashi looked up and saw the expression on his face, Fred had elated expression on his face as if he just won the lottery.

"Glad to see you too bud." He patted Fred's back, who began to wipe his tears. "You haven't washed your underwear, haven't you?"

Fred pulled away and gently knocked Tadashi's shoulder, "You know me well dude."

A disturbed look came over Tadashi's face as he tried to grin. "I hate to break up the bromance reunion but we need to talk to you Tadashi." Gogo jutted as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"About what?" he quizzed as the group entered the warehouse. They closed the plywood door, Hiro noticed that his brother screwed in hinges and tried to make use of what he had. He really was an inventor.

Tadashi rolled himself next to his workbench and resumed what he was doing. "We found Atlas at this old car factory. But we also found out they were making more of him, so we stopped it. I recognized one of the people as Jin Hideyoshi."

The older Hamada's hands stopped as his eyes slowly settled on Hiro. "You saw Jin?" Tadashi placed his tools down as his expression turned hostile, "Hiro, how did you know it was him?"

Hiro mentally slapped himself, "I heard him say his – "

"You said you recognized him." Tadashi's voice suddenly became louder as he turned his wheelchair around to face Hiro. "Tell me, did you talk to Callaghan?"

Hiro opened his mouth and gestured with his hands, "I thought if I could – "

"Did you or did you not talk to Callaghan, Hiro? Answer me." he snapped, panic and anger swam in his brown pupils.

"I did. I talked to Callaghan. I asked him who the Inigawa's boss was and he only directed me to Jin Hideyoshi." Hiro blurted, his body tense under his brother's rage.

"I wanted to help you, I thought if I found out who he was I could force him to let you live in peace."

Tadashi stared at him with his mouth slightly hanging. The group looked from one brother to another. "Hiro, do you understand what you've gotten yourself into? They know you, Hiro. They know you're my brother. Not only that, they know them!" He gestured sharply to the others.

Honey stepped forward, "Tadashi it wasn't his fault he – "

"No. This is exactly what I was protecting you all from. None of you were supposed to be involved with the Syndicate. None of you." he wheezed breathlessly. His heart hammered in his chest as he tried to calm himself down.

"Do you know how dangerous they are!? They've got their hands in almost every corporate business in San Fransokyo! They have hired killers, killers!" he growled. Tadashi acted almost like an animal now, his eyes were wild and his body shook like a he was recovering from an electric shock. His hands gripped the arm rests until his knuckles turned pale white.

Tadashi looked Hiro in the eye from across the room, "Don't pursue them anymore. I'll take care of it. Whatever you do, stop." He emphasized the last word, forcing it through his teeth.

Hiro stepped up with a crossed expression, "Atlas is my work. Do you think I'm just going to let you go at them alone?!"

Tadashi gritted his teeth, knowing that he wasn't supposed to act like this. He was livid, but scared at the same time for their safety."You're putting people in danger Hiro! What're you think –" His sentence was cut when Honey strode over and had her hand strike Tadashi across the left side of his face.

Wasabi, Fred, and Gogo's eyes widened and their bodies froze. Even Hiro stood there with his mouth slightly open, did she just slap Tadashi?

A momentary sign of shock registered through Honey's eyes as she realized what she did. It was too late now though, an austere expression came across her face as she confronted Tadashi.

"Do you even hear yourself? Y-you disappeared for three years Tadashi and this is who you are now? The way you're reacting right now is unbelievable. He's trying to help you and he even turned to you." Honey's voice wavered and tears sprang from her eyes.

She bit the bottom of her lip and tilted his head up to meet her eyes.

A red mark began to appear on the left side of Tadashi's cheek and a shamed look clouded his brown eyes. "Stop trying to take everything on by yourself. Look at you. You're destroying yourself Tadashi." she flared, trying hard not to get too emotional. There was no way in heaven or hell would he be able to fix this alone.

Tadashi eyes wandered towards the edge of his vision to see his brother. He realized what he said to Hiro and understood what Honey spoke of. His expression softened as he relaxed in his wheelchair again and swallowed the lump in his throat. Hiro was trying to help him, Tadashi slowly let it sink into his mind.

He was always so used to helping others and not receiving help himself. It was a force of habit. Tadashi's expression remained blank as Honey backed up. She watched him carefully, wondering if he would lash out again. His frame slowly eased into the back of the wheelchair and he slowly nodded.

The conversation had gone totally awry with all of this tension that had just built up. All of them were silent, but all eyes were on Tadashi. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and tried to redirect his thinking. He really did lose it, he was sure of that. The older Hamada's eyes lifted off the floor and landed on his sibling.

"W-what do you want to know?" Tadashi softly questioned. Hiro briefly observed him, there was a small impact of fear and doubt in his heart. He couldn't recognize his brother in the short moments before. He'd never seen his brother so aggressive in nature until now, even his friends thought the same. Something happened to him that Hiro didn't know. But he could see that asking him now might just turn him away completely.

"The leader of the Syndicate doesn't matter, for now. I need to know what they would do with exoskeletons." Hiro spoke delicately. The conversation was standing on broken glass now, the air remained thick and heavy among the group. The five were worried that anything could set Tadashi's fuse off again.

Tadashi's chest slowly rose and fell, he tapped his finger against the arm rest of his chair as he contemplated it. Telling them would just make them "They would weaponize it, convert it into something lethal. I remember at the showcase you said Atlas was a smart robot, capable of 'learning'. They probably know that by now, so they might just try to give it a mind of its own."

He wheeled his chair over to his bed and carefully slipped onto the cot. "That's it?" the younger Hamada remarked.

"They might try to turn it against the city. You, the creator of Atlas, of course will be questioned by federal authorities. Maybe." Tadashi speculated. He grunted as he felt a pain shoot up his back. Feeling like a seventy year old in a twenty one year old's body was just criminal. "By that time, San Fransokyo might just be under siege by an army of those exoskeletons."

Hiro gulped, it sounded like a worst case scenario. How could he stop them now? Every second was time burned away trying to reverse or fix this catastrophe. That worst case scenario seemed closer and closer to a reality by the minute. But he was overwhelmed at where to even begin.

"How smart is Atlas?" his brother probed, casting him a sideways glance.

Hiro thought about the question and slightly shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I mean, he can advance and evolve like Baymax can. He can gain a personality."

Tadashi watched his brother squirm under the pressure, he didn't want to put all of that on him, but what could he do? He only saw what Atlas was capable of, he didn't get much information about how Hiro programmed the AI. "You created him, think about it."

"Think about what?" Hiro wasn't up for riddles, but at the same time it felt that it was all his brother could give right now. Tadashi sank into his cot to rest again and slipped the blanket over himself.

"You made it. Look for a new angle." Tadashi mumbled as he pointed his back towards them. He was confident Hiro could solve it, the only issue that was pressing against them was time. How long could they dwell on it till they figure out what Atlas was going to do?

* * *

><p>In case any of you were wondering why Tadashi lashed out like that, I have an explanation that I typed up very quickly:<br>document/d/1eDiRNaM8vrCcLyOyk2RYC3KOwKYF1ZKFM9Wg0Me6L6w/edit?usp=sharing


	9. Change

Thank you for the comments and messages you've all given me, I do appreciate every word you've all said. It really has kept me going. I also realized that the link in the chapter I posted wasn't working because it took me a while to realize you can't copy and paste. So if you would still like to hear my reasoning for Tadashi, feel free to message me. I will copy and paste the explanation for you. I won't say much anymore, but I will leave a note at the end. Enjoy!

- D.R.

* * *

><p>The gang didn't leave Tadashi's place just yet, they hung around the warehouse to brainstorm some ideas. Honey sat atop Tadashi's workbenches with Gogo while Fred and Wasabi leaned against two pillars.<p>

Their eyes followed Hiro as he paced back and forth, thinking of a strategy to buy time. "We could always go in and sabotage the factories."

"Well actually finding them is the issue." Wasabi pointed out. Hiro nodded, understanding what he meant. "Yeah but I was thinking, we take Jin captive and have him tell us where they are."

"Still, we can't just go gung-ho on this too. Going in one by one is ineffective. I'm not even sure about Jin." Gogo pointed out.

"Jin isn't going to speak, he'll literally kill himself before he even speaks. Betrayal in the Syndicate is a serious offense." Tadashi interrupted, still lying on his bed. Hiro stared at his brooding brother's back, he seemed to know Jin more than he thought.

Hiro was questioning how much his brother actually involved himself in the Syndicate in the last years. If he knew this much, he had to have done much more than just inventing and improving for them.

Honey looked back over to Hiro, "Is there a way for Baymax to scan through buildings and just see them?" Hiro crossed his arms over his chest and thought of the idea, "It would take months for me to rebuild his sensor. I would have to not only enhance his helmet scanner, but the scanner in his head, I'd have to temporarily shut him down."

They were running dry of ideas, there was no point in all of them going to one factory at a time. As the group discussed, Tadashi silently pondered in his bed. In his years of working in the Syndicate, he knew a few people who could give him information of what the team wanted. He worked with robotics, he was certain that the people he worked with was working on Atlas.

Tadashi mentally flipped through his mind in search of people who fit his criteria, it's not like he had much to do anyway. At the same time, did he really want to see these people again? He felt a hand on his shoulder and he lifted his head to see Hiro. "You have any ideas left?" Hiro dejectedly.

Tadashi nodded slowly, he sat up and ran a hand through his messy hair. "While I was working for the Syndicate, I was with – "

Honey's eyes flashed as she suddenly spoke up, "You were working with the Inigawas?"

Tadashi remembered that none of them really knew what happened to him. Before Hiro even had the chance to defend him, Tadashi held his hand up in protest against it. "I'll tell them."

Tadashi explained what happened that night at the Showcase building, telling them all the details of what actually went down in the fire. As soon as he got to the part where he was taken in by the Inigawas, he chose his words more carefully. He was treading on broken glass and he didn't want to reveal anything that he didn't feel should be said.

Everything from being healed, to working for them, and finally being pardoned he covered vaguely. His friends were engrossed in his 'criminal activities' from start to finish. He could see the intrigue in their eyes, and he knew how dangerous fascination could be. "Now, I'm here." he gestured to the warehouse.

"What kinds of things did you make? Could it kill – "

"Fred, I would rather answer that another time. I kind of had a point – _er_ plan to make when I broke off tangent." Tadashi remarked. His friend nodded vigorously, understanding what he mean.

Tadashi clasped his hands together and sighed heavily, he disliked talking this much really. It wore him out, then again, everything wore him out. "As to what I was saying, I know a guy. Well I know a girl and a guy, who work in the Syndicate. They worked with me when it came to robotics."

"And you can get contact of them and get some information about what they're doing?" Hiro insisted. He understood what his brother was getting at, frankly he liked the idea.

Tadashi bobbed his head and smirked, "I can get you more than that. In fact, I can probably get you the location of all the factories they're building them in. The guy owes me, believe it or not I stood – um sat in between him and being at the bottom of San Fransokyo Bay."

A look of approval came over Hiro's face, "Not bad, what if he declines?"

Tadashi twiddled his thumbs and shrugged his shoulders, "I have footage of what he committed."

His friends looked at each other, his brother looked skeptical, "We're going to blackmail him? Isn't there another way? I mean – "

A bored expression came over Tadashi's face. He pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled, "You want a solution? I'm giving you a solution. Right now you're running out of time. I'm not asking you to blackmail him, no, I'm going to. All I need, is a yes or a no."

His brother was the one going back to them? Hiro didn't like putting his brother in danger, not after he just got him back. His brown eyes met his brother's own cold ones. "Yes. Let's do it. But, only if you let us stay somewhere near the area. I don't want you to get hurt."

Tadashi nodded and looked at his confidants, "What about you guys?"

"What about us?" Gogo asked, unsure of what he meant. "Are you okay with this plan?"

They were surprised to see him suddenly so conscious of their thoughts, it seems as if he didn't lose all of himself after all. "Of course, we're with you guys all the way." Honey supported. Fred and Wasabi looked at one another and shrugged. "You really think we're going to let you two troublemakers go alone?"

Wasabi walked over to the two Hamada siblings and patted their backs, the team soon joined after them in a circle. "Alright, team. Wait, actually, we're missing Baymax." Hiro almost forgot he left the robot with Aunt Cass to help her around the café.

"There's a slight problem with the plan now that I realize it." Tadashi spoke up.

"With what?"

"I don't know how intimidating I'll come off when I'm shorter than the guy while on my chair. I haven't fixed my exoskeleton yet, Wasabi wrecked it like mad." Tadashi explained, jutting his thumb to the workbench.

"Sorry about that." Wasabi commented.

"No it's fine, no hard feelings. I'm just glad you didn't chop my leg off or something. Even though I can't use it, I still kind of want it on me." Tadashi joked. Wasabi chuckled and shook his head.

Hiro smirked and crossed his arms over his chest, "Well, I can upgrade you no doubt. I'll fix that skeleton and make it even stronger than before."

Tadashi admired his brother for his ingenuity and in some cases, his headstrong behavior. He knew that the young inventor had so much going for him and he also envied him in some ways. "I'll leave you to it then."

Hiro casually saluted his brother and walked off with Gogo and Fred to take the exoskeleton home.

"He's changed." Tadashi softly spoke. Honey and Wasabi glanced at Tadashi, the blonde saw something in his eyes. He seemed proud and sad all at the same time. "I wish I was there to support him."

Honey placed her hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze, "Stop thinking about that now, you did what you could. Now cheer up before I slap it out of you." She was joking of course, she wouldn't do that again.

"That hurt by the way, your hand stung. It still stings actually." Tadashi rubbed the side of his face, it was still sort of swollen. Honey gently tilted his head to inspect the damage she caused. A look of worry overcame her expression. "T, I'm really sorry about that. I mean, I got really mad at the time." she said frantically.

"Honey, don't apologize for slapping someone who's saying something stupid. I'm fine really." Tadashi joked, nudging her side.

"Yeah, I mean look at him. That mark looks good on you." Wasabi smirked, arching a brow. "Ha ha ha."

"Hey! Tadashi, why don't we relocate you now?" Hiro shouted from the workbenches. "Now?"

"Yeah I mean, why not you know? At least you'll be closer and you won't have to kill Wasabi's gas budget all the time."

The older Hamada's mouth turned upwards, "Sure, I don't mind that at all. How is my stuff going to get moved though? That workbench can be disassembled and all, but I'd need a moving truck."

"We can take your belongings first, like clothes and all that jazz." Wasabi insisted.

"Wait where is Tadashi staying? Can he crash at my place?" Fred spoke up. Gogo popped her gum and motioned to the tall blonde, "He'll be staying with Honey, don't you usually have like, thirty relatives staying over anyway? It's almost the holidays."

Fred placed a hand on his lip, trying to recall how much people he had over, "Oh yeah, true. I got Aunt Sally, Uncle Oliver, Cousin Mac, Uncle Peterson, Aunt Jemma, Aunt Susan, Cousin Victor – "

Hiro clasped his hands together and spoke up, "Okay! Well so it's settled, let's start moving you."

Honey was excited to have Tadashi as a roommate, at the same time she was a bit uneasy. He seemed temperamental, but still bearable. She hoped he wouldn't be so cold or snappy around her.

The group of friends began loading Tadashi's belongings into the back of the car. The big objects like his tools and his workbenches were all left there for now. Fred, Wasabi, and Hiro then grabbed Tadashi's wheelchair and hoisted it.

"Hey!" It also turned out that Tadashi was sitting on the chair. "The heck – " he sputtered.

"Sharkbait hoo ah ah." Hiro referenced. Tadashi looked down at his brother and shot a glare at him. "Really? Put me down before I kill you three."

"Too late my man, we're going to sacrifice you to Infernium. He's the god of fire volcanoes in Ultron comics 203." Fred chided.

"Relax man, you're lighter than a feather. You don't eat much?"

"No, now put me down damn it." Tadashi glared, looking peeved. He was finally set down next to the car, where Honey and Gogo were waiting.

"Alright, got the last luggage." Hiro joked, nudging his brother. "You're so lucky I'm tired."

"Get in you big man baby." Gogo teased. Tadashi mumbled something under his breath as he grabbed the handle and hoisted himself in. Wasabi folded his wheelchair and pushed it into the back.

"Man this is going to kill my suspension." Wasabi slammed the back shut and slipped into the driver's seat.

"Move over, you're taking up space." Hiro commented, pushing Tadashi. "Dude there's no space left. Go sit on Gogo's lap." his older brother smirked.

Hiro blushed and punched his brother's arm. "Come on." he whined.

"We could always strap him on the roof." Gogo commented.

"Come on guys, be nice." Honey fidgeted, feeling Tadashi press against her side.

"You can always sit on my lap little dude." Fred offered. "Yeah, sit on Santa Fred."

Hiro grunted as he tried to push his brother in, but then gave up when he got too tired.

Honey had an idea, she lifted herself up and made Tadashi slide into her spot. Then she sat on his lap and beamed, "See? Fixed it."

Hiro glanced at Tadashi, who looked like he was biting his tongue whilst trying not to burn up. "Nice, thanks Honey." He slipped into the seat and nudged Tadashi, who slowly turned his head to show a glare.

"Where to first?" Wasabi left the lot and began driving out of the harbor. "Head to my place first, just drop me off on the curb. Aunt Cass might see Tadashi. I'll get to work on fixing his exoskeleton."

They drove to the Lucky Cat first, Gogo and Fred volunteered to go with him and help if needed. Then Wasabi took off for Honey's apartment. Wasabi glanced at his mirror and noticed that Honey was still on Tadashi's lap.

The driver chuckled to himself and continued driving. "Honey, do you want to get off?" Tadashi squeaked, still looking flustered. The blonde realized that they were the only ones in the back and she quickly slipped off Tadashi's lap.

"Sorry about that." she quietly apologized. Tadashi bobbed his head nervously and placed his hands on his lap. His back stood straight, it was a while since he had a posture that was so rigid and tense. Over the two years, he's developed habits that contradicted his own before the fire.

But he remained physically diligent, doing whatever he could to stay healthy. Tadashi hardly experienced physical hardship until three years before. He had to either sink or swim after the incident. He swam, he would've even agreed that he was still swimming.

Honey's eyes studied Tadashi from the tips of his messy jet black hair to his dirty canvas shoes. Ever since they met, all of her observations were clouded by emotions. Now she saw him in a different light, he wasn't here.

Honey could tell that Tadashi was still living in the past, Hiro might have noticed too but never spoke a word. The older Hamada was clinging onto the identity of his old self, desperately trying to piece it together in the form of relationships and silent reassurance.

Tadashi glanced in the corner of his eye and caught Honey's green orbs, they flashed a smile at each other and broke contact. He twiddled his thumbs and watched Wasabi drive throughout the rest of the way.

They came upon a decent looking complex, just a few blocks from SFIT. Tadashi peered out the window, his eyes studied the buildings, and it was fairly modern. "You moved here when?"

"About a year ago, I've been doing well in my graduate program and so my parents rewarded me." Honey replied, slipping out the car. She popped the back of Wasabi's car open and carefully took out the wheelchair.

"Are you on the bottom floor?" Tadashi asked, looking at the Latina. "Third, don't worry, they actually modeled this apartment radically different. Instead of stairs, the building has elevators."

Tadashi frowned, how did that work? He slipped into the chair and let Wasabi place his bags on his lap. "I can carry the rest." his friend insisted.

"Thanks." Tadashi smiled.

Honey pushed Tadashi through the complex, actually trying to avoid people. She was afraid people might notice and recognize Tadashi. Sweat ran down Tadashi's back, maybe staying with Fred was better.

She pushed the elevator button and slipped the man in along with Wasabi. "Ah, excuse me can you hold the door!" a woman shouted.

Honey's eyes widened and she went rigid, just what she didn't want. The woman slipped into the elevator and stood next to Wasabi. "Oh hi Megan!" Honey greeted.

Tadashi's eyes widened and he screamed internally. But he simply sat there with a blank look on his face. "Who's these two this Honey?" Megan asked, looking at Tadashi.

"This is Wasabi. Oh and this guy, he's just my cousin!" she quickly replied. "He's mute and blind and… also – um disabled." Tadashi wanted to just fall over and hide his face, but he couldn't.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry. Is he okay? He looks startled."

The woman's floor came and she quickly waved at the three of them as she left. "I'll talk to you later! Bye Wasabi! Bye Honey's cousin!"

As the door closed, Tadashi slowly looked over his shoulder. "Mute, blind, and disabled?" he asked sternly.

"It worked, didn't it? Stop complaining." Honey scolded. She wheeled him to her third floor apartment and opened her door. "Welcome to my home." she said proudly.

It definitely was her apartment, it was covered in a whole lot of pink, yellow, and other bright colors. "Everything is so bright." Tadashi commented.

"What'd you expect?" She shut the door behind them and let Tadashi look around. "The wheels might get your carpet dirty." Tadashi warned.

Honey waved her hand and took the bags from his lap, "It's fine Tadashi, and it's not a big deal anyway."

She disappeared around the corner with his bags, he presumed to set them in a room. Tadashi rolled around her living quarters, fascinated by all the little gadgets she had around the place. "You going to be okay for now?" Wasabi asked his friend.

Tadashi nodded and turned his wheelchair towards Wasabi, "Yeah I will be. Also, thanks a lot Wasabi."

"Anything for you my friend, I'll set this to the side here." Wasabi placed his bags on Honey's couch and patted Tadashi's back on the way to the door.

"Honey, I placed Tadashi's bags on the side! I have to go, my folks are probably wanting me back before dinner."

"Thanks Wasabi! Drive safe, okay?!" Honey shouted back. "Gotcha!"

Tadashi wheeled himself to the direction Honey went to and found her in her bedroom. He spotted his bag in the second room, she had an apartment with two rooms and a bathroom. The second room had all the essentials, except it wasn't as decorated as Honey's own room.

"Well, like it?" Honey was afraid he would be turned away by all the colors, but he needed it anyway. She believed it could help him if he wasn't surrounded by gray and black all the time. "I do, it's nice." he smiled.

"Are you hungry? I can make something right now, it's almost dinner." Tadashi agreed to dinner, he didn't want to be rude to her at all. She was housing him and even offering to feed him, not only that, she was his friend.

Back at Hiro's garage, he worked with Gogo and Fred on fixing Tadashi's exoskeleton. "How do you plan on improving it? I mean, this is Tadashi's invention we're talking about." Gogo stated.

"Don't say his name, Aunt Cass might hear it. Also, there's always room for improvement my dear." Hiro suavely stated.

Gogo made a face, "Did you really just say 'my dear'?"

"Sorry, been watching late night sitcoms with Aunt Cass and Baymax. I can't help it."

"Dude we should chill and watch my Megazilla trilogy." Fred offered.

"Sure, when I get the time to." Hiro dismantled the last of Tadashi's invention and slowly began working on them one by one. "Some of these parts are crude and damaged. He probably reused and repaired this over and over again."

Some of the parts have been sanded down to the point where they were almost ineffective. "After we repair that and get it working for him. Then what?"

Hiro rummaged in his various shelves of parts. Some of the parts had come from the junkyard and others from the school. "We get him in contact with whoever this guy is. Hopefully he complies and gives Tadashi what we need."

Hiro was quite excited really, his brother was going to be fighting with them. Well he wasn't entirely sure, but no doubt Tadashi would get himself involved. "If I'm going to upgrade his skeleton. I need to upgrade his skin."

"Uh – what?" Fred frowned.

"I'm gonna make him a new set of armor." Hiro clarified. Fred made an 'oh' expression and went back to reading his comic. Gogo worked alongside the eighteen year old, while Fred happily tested it out. He was sure he needed another full day to finish it all, but he also had classes.

Baymax came in with a tray of three plates filled with food. "Hiro, you and your friends should eat. Aunt Cass's neural levels may increase if you do not."

Hiro smiled to himself and took the food from Baymax's hands. "Thanks buddy, can you tell Aunt Cass that we said thank you too?"

"I will do that." Baymax left the garage and shuffled up the stairs. Hiro reminded himself to hang out with Baymax, he was afraid he might end up 'pushing' Baymax away in the long run. His friends took their plates, but he left his food untouched.

His phone rang from across the room, Fred slid his chair and grabbed it. "Hello? Hiro Hamada here." he snickered.

"Oh, hey Tadashi, yeah Hiro's here bro. Hey Hiro, it's big Hamada on the other side." Fred tossed the phone and he caught it, Gogo sat on the couch in the corner as she watched.

"Hey T, what's up? Yeah, it's going well, I just need more time." Hiro sat at his computers and worked on remaking the limbs.

"Well, I suppose. EMPs? Wouldn't that be too dangerous? Oh right right, sure we can work on it later." Hiro forgot they were on an unsecured line, he cut the conversation short and prompted to continue the discussion tomorrow.

"What was that about?" Gogo asked, she knew what EMPs were.

"Tadashi said that we could take out each factory at the same time with a timed EMP at each location. Not the weak ones, the ones that actually damage the electric system pretty badly."

Gogo shrugged her shoulders, she was indifferent about it. She didn't know much about what harm they posed. Fred on the other hand shot up, "EMPs? Can I use one?" A soft laugh escaped Hiro's lips as he bobbed his head up and down. "Yeah of course man."

The night was filled with the sound of power tools and the sound of metal against metal. The couch in the garage luckily extended to transform into a bed. After Gogo and Fred left to head home, Hiro crashed on his makeshift bed.

Baymax shuffled back into the garage and watched the boy lay face down on his bed. "That is not a proper sleeping posture." Baymax commented. Hiro simply grunted in reply, then he felt the nurse robot pick him up from the bed.

Then the large marshmallow placed him onto his back and covered him with a blanket. "Thanks Baymax, you're the best." Hiro let out an exhausted laugh and slowly drifted to sleep. Baymax stood beside him as if he was on guard, he has always made sure Hiro slept well.

"Hiro, are you heading up – " Cass' eyes landed on the tired boy under his covers. She patted Baymax's arm and silently thanked him. "Let me get your charging station Baymax." The guardian went upstairs and brought the robot's station down to their garage.

Over the years, the robot has become so close to family. She knew that he was always there when she couldn't be. There were times where Hiro would grieve every now and then, the robot would be at his side before she could. For that, she was thankful. Baymax reminded her so much of Tadashi.

She rubbed her calloused hands and glanced around the garage for one last time. There were nights where she would hear Tadashi and Hiro's voice together, singing songs in the form of dreams and innovations.

They spent hours here, making their own world come to life. Hiro thought of the ideas, Tadashi help make them a reality. That was the synergy the brothers had, despite their ages and interests, they always managed to connect on the same wavelength.

"If only you could see what good he's done." Cass smiled sadly, talking to no one.

She flipped the light switch of and quietly made her way up the stairs. Baymax watched her leave and then turned his head to watch Hiro. A small beep resounded through the garage as Baymax stepped into his charging station.

Across the city, Tadashi sat in the Honey's bathtub silently. She had pushed him to go shower, seeing as he hasn't taken a proper one in a while. He sighed loudly and relaxed against the wall of the tub.

"You okay?" Honey stood outside of the door, she was afraid that he might of gotten hurt. The blonde also just finished washing and drying his clothes just a few minutes ago.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'll be done in a minute. Did you need the bathroom?" Tadashi called.

"No, no, it's fine Tadashi. I was just making sure you're okay."

The black hair man chuckled and rubbed his chin, "What, did you think I'm going to drown or something in a kiddie pool?"

Honey rolled her eyes and leaned against the wall next to the bathroom door. "You're unbelievably sassy."

"Consider one of my many charms Ms. Miyazaki." Her eyes widened, Tadashi rarely used her real name. They were all so accustomed to their nicknames that it was even more surreal to hear it roll off his tongue.

"Noted, Mr. Hamada." She heard the water splash about, she knew he got in with ease, but she wasn't sure how well he would be when getting out.

"Are you sure you don't need help?" she called. "Yes, yes. I'm fine."

She heard the squeaking of his foot against the floor. Tadashi's wheelchair couldn't fit in the bathroom, he would need assistance after all.

"Actually, scratch that, can you help me up please." A look of panic crossed Honey's face as she opened the door. Tadashi sat on the toilet cover with a towel around his waist, looking drenched and a bit peeved.

"Here, loop your arm around my neck." Honey instructed. Tadashi did just so and used his other arm to keep himself up.

"You're so heavy." Honey whined. Tadashi rolled his eyes as he slipped into the wheelchair. The young woman was mature enough not to get flustered around semi-naked men, she was past that point. However she still admired that he was quite physically fit. "I cleaned your clothes by the way, they're in your room."

Honey fixed the bathroom, putting everything back in its place. She began wiping up the floor to get rid of the water. Tadashi honestly felt bad for having her do all this for him. "Did you need help with anything else?"

The blonde looked up and shook her head, "You should rest. But I also won't be here tomorrow, I'll be in the lab. I've had to restart some of my experiments." Then she went back to arranging the bathroom.

Tadashi played with his thumbs, glancing off to the side every now and then. It had become a habit of his when he was nervous. He was meaning to get something out, but he didn't know how. "Hey Honey." She looked over at the drenched man, he looked like he had something left to say. "Yeah?"

"I wanted to say thank you, I mean – I really appreciate you letting me live here for now. It's a lot better than the warehouse. It's also great that I'm back with you guys again, I missed you – all, all I mean. I missed you all." he stumbled, tripping over his words.

The words made Honey's heart soar, she always held Tadashi near her heart, even after the fire. After fighting crime for so long with the team, she's toughened up a bit more in order to get past it. Still, she retained her well known eccentric behavior around the others. Even after all that boy with the baseball hat and hair as dark as night sat next to her beating heart and somehow kept it safe.

"Tadashi, you know you're welcome here anytime." Tadashi smiled brightly and she loved it. He was always so photogenic and she adored his smiles, as did a lot of other girls. But finally seeing his smile in the light and seeing him so happy lifted her spirits.

"Alright, goodnight then?" Honey Lemon wiped her hands and walked over to Tadashi. "Yeah, let me help you. Tomorrow I'll also get you those arm crutches so you won't be so held down by the carpet."

She took him into his room and placed him next to the bed. His clothes were folded and placed at the end of the mattress. She leaned over and placed a gentle kiss a top of his head. "Goodnight Tadashi." she murmured against his matted hair. Although she forgot his hair was wet, she didn't mind.

"Night Honey." he sputtered as he sat there in frozen embarrassment.

Honey left the befuddled twenty one year old, closing the door to let him change his clothes. After he eased into his bed covers, Tadashi stared at the ceiling with an unblinking expression. Honey was sweet, she also had that kick in the Lemon part of her nickname.

He thought about what she said when she yelled at him, how could he be so callous with his words? Part of him knew he should have controlled his anger, the other part was the knowledge of him not being able to control it.

Ever since he's left the Syndicate, he's relied on a single drug that has changed him quite a bit. It's helped with his physical pain but has had its side effects. Tadashi battled with himself on whether he should drop the drug and try for a more organic approach, yet he lacked the patience for it.

His chest sank as he exhaled heavily, then he turned his head to look at the vibrant lights of San Fransokyo. The different hues danced in his vision and hypnotized him. It was a tragically beautiful city, there was always a dark to the light. Tadashi continued to stare blankly out of the glass wall that separated him and the outside world.

For once he truly felt safe, he had it easy today.

It's been a long time since he could actually relax every muscle in his body. He was aware that the following days wouldn't be like this. Tadashi would face the very people he's been trying to get away from for almost a year now. But he would do it for all of the people he loved, because that's who he was and still is.

Despite it all and despite what might come tomorrow or the day after, he didn't need to worry about it in his fixed state. None of that existed for him under a blanket of speckled stars and tired dreams.

* * *

><p>This chapter was a tad bit more light hearted then the ones before and I did want to include some sort of romantic spark between Honey and Tadashi. I tried to not be too 'in-your-face' about it, because I still want to develop it. Wouldn't be any fun if I just slapped it on there. Also, I wanted to take it slow in this chapter before they of course start taking on the Syndicate. But things will pick up in the future chapters, I promise.<p>

- D.R.


	10. Progress

Hey there, I'm gonna cover a few things first. Finals are in full swing for me so I may miss an update date maybe once or twice next week. I'm still trying to commit to releasing a chapter every 2 days, but I may end up stretching that, depending on my schedule. Holidays are around the corner but that won't deter me really. If you kind of noticed, I unintentionally sort of almost based the plot off the movie. Stolen invention, evil people, the jist. I have gotten some messages about it and don't worry, I've got ideas from all sorts of other areas. My idea won't be as original, but I'm going to try to pluck an apple off every tree to make a plot line as standalone as I can make it to be. That being said, I hope you enjoy this chapter!  
>- D.R.<p>

* * *

><p>Hiro brought Tadashi's exoskeleton to the lab the next day, telling people that it was something he quickly picked up from the yard. He had much better tools in the school than his garage.<p>

He heard his door slide open and a pair of heels click against the marble floor. "Hiro, here's the coating you asked for. I altered the measurements and substituted some chemicals to make it better." Honey's voice sang.

"Thank you so much, I don't know a thing when it comes to these chemicals." Hiro joked.

Honey set the container on his table, it was a semi dark substance that had the consistency of water.

"How's Tadashi by the way? Did he adjust in your home?" Hiro inquired as she was walking away.

Honey nodded with a gentle smile on her features. "Oh yeah, he's doing fine. He slept like a baby last night, I checked on him, he's such a heavy sleeper. He was asleep this morning too, he seems to have been really tired."

As she talked, he was carefully transferring the chemicals with proper safety equipment. "It must be the cot he slept on. That or he just doesn't sleep much."

"Does he take medication?" Honey crossed her arms over her chest, curious if Tadashi actually even took pills for his condition.

"Not that I know of. You could probably ask him." Hiro said half-heartedly. He would rather not have his brother on a drug unless he really needed it.

Honey went back to her lab to conduct some more experiments. They all were particularly busy today, their finals were coming up and they needed to hit the nail on their projects. It was even amazing they could balance their crime fighting life with school work.

He slumped on his chair and groaned out loud. After thinking about finals, he was suddenly incredibly stressed. The fact that his own invention was out there was even worse. "Life sucks." he whined, throwing his hand to the side.

"Did a bird crap in your food this morning or something?" Gogo had walked in right on time to hear the young student cry foul.

"No, it's just, finals Gogo. I mean – egh." Hiro slow slid off his chair and onto the floor. "I think I'll just lay here and die."

Gogo rolled her eyes and placed a small bin of parts on his table. "Don't, because I don't want to have to be the one to throw your corpse away."

"You're supportive as usual I see." Gogo placed her shoe on his chest, but she didn't press down on him. "How about you get up and woman up? You still got a few days till finals start."

Hiro nodded slowly and exhaled heavily. "I'll finish Tadashi's skeleton and call it a day." Gogo took her foot off his chest and leaned down, she patted his head with a rare smile.

"That's the nerd I know."

"Yeah yeah. You have a race next month, right?" Hiro questioned as he laid on the floor. Gogo held her hand out and he took it.

"I do. The San Fransokyo Cross Championship." she answered as she pulled Hiro up.

Hiro brushed his clothes off and noticed he was almost taller than her. "Nice, been practicing?" he smirked.

Gogo popped her gum and gently pushed his shoulder, "Duh, what else would I do?" Then she turned for his door to leave.

"Thanks for the parts by the way." he called, turning back to his work. Hiro sat himself on his moving stool and hunched over his work table. His hands worked tirelessly on the skeleton, perfecting the motion of its aesthetics.

Minutes turned into hours and soon it was late in the afternoon. Baymax expanded from his charging station and looked around his lab. Ever since Hiro upgraded him, he made the robot have the ability to freely leave or stay in his station. He didn't need to say 'ow' anymore to activate him.

"You have been working for five hours straight now. You should rest." his friend suggested. Hiro's mouth curved upwards and he silently acknowledged his advice.

"In a bit. I'm almost done." He fumbled with the last limb, moving it back and forth before he deemed it usable.

Baymax peered over his shoulder and watched him closely. "Will this aid in Tadashi's recovery?" He was still concerned about the older brother's disability.

"Baymax, did you scan him back in SFIT by any chance?"

"I scanned him and found that he shows signs of high blood pressure. His spine has suffered dislocation and it seems that his shoulder blade has not healed correctly."

Hiro listened to his report, intrigued that his brother developed high blood pressure. "He gets pretty angry Baymax. I'm not sure if that's because of his health or…"

Baymax held up a finger, "Lowering his blood pressure may improve his emotional state. Tadashi may not have received proper rehabilitation or support after the accident."

Hiro nodded slowly, he would take his word to heart and find a way to lower his blood pressure.

Finishing the skeleton made Hiro so proud, he was like a kid who just completed a drawing and couldn't wait to show it to his parents. He packed it up and took it with him, it was too late to give it to Tadashi.

The inventor locked up for the night, whistling down the hallway as his robot companion followed him out.

"Ready to go Bay?" Hiro called, revving the moped. The robot in his charging station blinked, "Yes. I am ready."

Hiro kicked the moped stand up and sped off into the night. He arrived back at home and heard the TV upstairs.

"Is that you Hiro?" Aunt Cass called. "Yeah!"

Hiro hung his helmet and jogged up the wooden stairs with Baymax's station. Cass was sitting on her couch, watching reruns of 'I Love Laura'. "Want to help me make dinner tonight?" she asked from the couch.

"Yeah of course Aunt Cass, let me put my stuff away." Hiro went up to his room and threw his bag onto his bed, then he placed Baymax's port to the side. He fell backwards and landed on the sheets, "Oh yeah, this is good."

Baymax came over and imitated the boy, except he ended up rolling onto Hiro accidentally. "Urgh – Baymax you're really heavy." Hiro wheezed.

"I am just big boned. It is a figure of speech." Hiro laughed and pushed his friend's back off of him. He sat up and looked at himself in the mirror. "Did I get taller Baymax?"

The robot stood next to the boy and scanned him. "Yes, you have gotten taller. You are also no longer experiencing pubescent mood swings."

Hiro laughed and took the time to observe himself, he had gotten his hair trimmed just a bit. He still had a lanky frame, however he gained some muscle from having to work so much in the lab and while fighting crime.

He realized that he couldn't rely on Baymax all the time to save him, so he began to teach himself martial arts. Hiro flexed his arms and beamed into the mirror. Baymax watched him inquisitively, before he imitated the teenager.

"Really?" Cass stood next to the door frame with her arms over her chest. She had walked into the two boys flexing in the mirror. "Hello Aunt Cass, Hiro and I were just comparing our physical state."

"Oh you two, come on down. I need to mash the potatoes, I'm sure Baymax can do that."

"Why can't I do it?" Hiro scolded.

"Baymax has more strength." she called.

Hiro groaned as him and Baymax followed Aunt Cass. "Thanks Aunt Cass, I appreciate it."

Back in Honey's apartment, a certain man was slouched in his friend's couch. His eyes were trained on the TV, watching a movie about giant robots fighting monsters from the deep.

Tadashi's eyes shifted to the corner of his view as he heard the door click open. Honey stumbled in looking incredibly tired, she also had on her barista work clothes. "Welcome home, you look exhausted." he commented.

"You think?" the blonde huffed, shutting the door. She placed her heels on the side and made her way to her room. Tadashi turned his attention back to the movie and made off handed remarks as it progressed.

Honey came back and stood to the side with her hands on her hips. "Have you been just sitting here all day?"

"Maybe, why?" Tadashi looked up from the TV. "Did you even eat?"

Tadashi stared at Honey with a blank expression. The blonde became fidgety as her expression turned into confusion. "Are you okay?"

Tadashi then smiled brightly and nodded, "Yeah, I was just bored. That's all."

Honey shook her head with a small grin, "You are so weird. No, but honestly, did you eat?"

"Sort of. I heated some of your TV dinners." he replied as he looked back at the TV.

Honey looked at the TV and recognized the movie as Atlantic Edge, Fred had forced the gang to watch it one time at a get together. She plopped down beside the man and placed her feet onto the table.

Tadashi didn't mind one bit, he continued watching as if nothing changed. "Anything interesting on the news?" she asked, trying to start a conversation.

The man came out from his dazed state and pondered her question. "Krei Tech nearly went under, so Van Buren Manufacturing brought them out for three point four billion dollars." Honey's eyes widened, she never thought Krei Tech would ever go bankrupt.

"What happened to Allister?"

Tadashi shrugged his shoulders, "He had to hand over his headquarters to Van Buren and I think he's relocating to New Seoul City. Something about a partnership with Song Corporations."

"So now Van Buren Manufacturing is in Krei Tech's buildings." Tadashi nodded silently in response.

Krei Tech had previously occupied one of the tallest buildings in downtown San Fransokyo. It was the headquarters apart from their other labs and facilities around the city and its outskirts.

The movie finally ended and Tadashi began looking for a new film to watch. "It's my turn." Honey leaned over to get the remote. He quickly pulled it away and looked at her with a playful glare.

"What? No. Who said?"

Honey shot him a look, "Said the person who's paying rent and is housing your butt." Tadashi smirked and held it farther away from her. "Oh? Then come get it then." He held her back with his one arm, preventing her from fully reaching the controller.

The blonde narrowed her eyes and quickly brought his arm behind his back, then she forced his head down between his legs. "Come get what now?" she joked darkly.

"I give, I give." Tadashi wheezed. Honey plucked the remote from his hand and set him free. He slowly sat back up and rubbed his arm.

"You're so mean, you just assaulted a disabled man."

"More like a big baby. I didn't even push you that hard." Honey rolled her eyes and switched the channels.

"Where'd you learn to do that?" he asked curiously. "I began learning some takedown techniques since we were fighting baddies all day. Sometimes I had to fight up close" When Tadashi first found out about his friends and brother all becoming heroes, he was surprised.

All at the same time, he was pretty scared for them. It was dangerous to go out and save people, he had seen them fight on the news and it was pretty suspenseful. Tadashi had recognized them off the bat when they first appeared on camera, he didn't even need to blink.

In turn, he ended up making an exoskeleton and makeshift armor for himself. When he wasn't working on projects in his warehouse, he was out fighting criminals. He foiled anything from heists to everyday street robbery. Honey finally stopped at the channel she was searching for.

"From Moscow With Love? Really? Can't we watch Crouching Crane Hidden Hare instead?" he offered.

"Nope." Honey sang. Tadashi groaned and let her have her victory while it lasted. Unfortunately for him, he ended up dozing off near the end of the movie. Honey turned the volume down and studied the man, it would be a rare moment for her.

She noticed that he hasn't shaved in a while, he had grown a bit of a stubble it seemed. His hairstyle was certainly different, the sides of his head was shaved off, but she could tell it was growing back. There seemed to be a stich on one side of his head, did he get cut there?

Burns stretched down from the side of his face down and extended past his collarbone. She tilted her head and studied his hands, they looked rough and somewhat calloused. No doubt it was from the work he put into his inventions, maybe even from fighting.

She wanted to help him, she knew there was something he still hid from there. Honey hoped that living with her will make him open up. Her fingers traced his jawline, noticing that he had a slight curved scar that stretched to the underside. Honey didn't notice the tired glassy brown eyes of the man she was observing.

Her vibrant green eyes landed on his tired chocolate ones, she froze. "Hey." he mumbled, his eyes slowly landing on her fingers.

"Hey." she whispered. His hand came up and took her hand off his face, his hands definitely had a rough texture. "That tickled." he muttered groggily. The Latina's mouth curved upwards and retreated her hands to her lap.

"We should get you to bed sleepy head."

Tadashi nodded like a child and watched Honey bring his wheelchair over. Then she looped his arm around her neck and brought him down onto it. "Tuck me in." Tadashi snickered.

"You're such a child." She rolled her eyes playfully and pushed him to his room. She helped him onto the bed and pushed his feet away from the edge. Honey honestly never thought she would be taking care of one of her best friends, let alone Tadashi.

It got lonely in the apartment, it brought her peace to know someone else was living with her. After covering him with a blanket, she felt his hand slip into hers as she turned to leave.

"Thanks. Goodnight." he said softly as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Night." She gave his hand a slight squeeze and slipped away back towards her room. Honey guessed that the future nights would be like this, dodging around, then ending the night with a gentle goodnight.

She didn't mind in actuality, having him here and alive was enough. Honey felt at ease to know that he had a heartbeat and that he was tangible. It sounded selfish, but what else could she say about a boy who embraced a part of her heart?

The next morning, Honey sat on her dining table while drinking some tea. She heard her doorbell ring and she immediately got up to answer it. She peeped through the eyehole and saw Hiro, Gogo, Wasabi, and Fred at the front.

"Hey guys!" she greeted after swinging it open. The group greeted each other and was ushered in by the Latina. "Hey Honey, we came over because we got Tadashi's invention working."

She beckoned them to follow and led the group to the sleeping figure. She slowly opened the door and ended up unleashing a lot of Tadashi's snores. "Wow he's loud." Hiro whispered.

"Why do you think I close his door?"

A wicked smile came over Hiro's face as he pulled out his phone. He scrolled through it and opened the air horn app he downloaded. Wasabi arched his brow, "Dude you're cruel."

"I've been waiting my whole life for this moment." Hiro joked.

He walked over to his brother's side and put the phone near him. Then he activated it and let loose a hellfire of the air horn's sound.

Tadashi shot up screaming, looking like a disoriented animal. Hiro stopped the air horn and exploded into a fit of laughter. His friends couldn't help but do so either. Tadashi on the other hand looked livid.

"Hiro! If I could get up right now – oooh you would be so dead right now." he growled. He ran a furious hand through his messy hair and rubbed his eyes to shake the feeling of fatigue away.

Hiro put his hands up in defense as he tried to calm his laughter down, "Relax big brother, I came here with a present too." He held up two duffel bags to show him. Tadashi eyed him suspiciously, the air horn was enough for him not to trust the young man. Nonetheless, he gave in.

"Oh? Let me see. Must be Christmas already." They brought him to the living room and sat him on the couch. Hiro unveiled his newly constructed exoskeleton, showing him what he improved and what he added.

Instead of the backpacking system, it now could attack to the individual's back along their spinal cord. In order for it to be held up, he had Honey fashion a sticky substance that acted like a glue to the skin. He didn't want the system to end up having to penetrate the skin just to attach.

"Come try it out." Tadashi eagerly complied, he looked like a kid who just got a new toy. Hiro helped attach the main 'nervous system' of the skeleton onto his back. "This feels weird, is it like super glue?" Tadashi inquired, holding his shirt in his hands.

"Nope. Well sort of, it's strong, but it wouldn't hurt if you took it off." Hiro answered as he set his legs up.

Once it was set, Hiro stepped back and held his hands out in expectance. Tadashi slowly stood up, the skeleton was silent, it was much better than his old one. He heard no metal against metal sounds or any creaks.

"Wow." Tadashi was speechless, his brother really surprised him. He blew his version out of the water, that was his brother's talent anyway. Hiro could always find a way to improve things. Tadashi walked around for a while, until his smile grew wider and wider.

Walking with the contraption never felt so good, it felt amazing to finally feel the ground under his feet. He was excited to be able to walk again, it was a feeling he always wanted to have. "This is – just amazing. Really Hiro, I can't even tell you how great I feel with this."

A grin overcame the younger brother's face, his grin became wider as Tadashi wrapped him in a tight hug. "You're squeezing the air out of me." he coughed as he returned his brother's embrace.

"Sorry, I'm just, really happy." Tadashi breathed, his face hurt from smiling so much. The others finally noticed how tall he really was. He was much taller than they imagined him while he was sitting down. The armor he had on fooled them when they first ran into him.

The legs of the skeleton didn't jut out or protrude much from the contour of his own legs. It was fairly fine-tuned just for him. "Alright, well now that's over. Let's get down to business."

They all sat around Honey's living room and watched the young Hamada. "We're all set in terms of our own equipment, right?" Everyone in the room nodded slowly.

"Now, we need a plan as to how we're going to take out all of those factories at the same time." Hiro pointed to Tadashi, "You said something about an EMP, right?"

The man looked up from his legs and nodded, "I did, I said timed EMPs, but I realized that we're going to have collateral damage. If these factories happen to be in densely populated areas, which I think they will be, we're risking of shutting down a part of San Fransokyo."

Fred piped up, "What's so bad about that? I mean it's just a blackout."

Tadashi rubbed his chin, "The issue is the blackout is well – forever. We're trying to protect people, not have them panic. So if we shut down a whole district, we're talking about mass panic. It's going to be chaotic."

Fred acknowledged it and began to think of his own plan. The others bounced ideas back and forth, some of them had to do with simply redoing what Hiro did. Other had to do with going in and destroying the robots.

"Why don't we just do it old school style and feed a virus to it again? Aren't there boxes on the outside of the building that are connected to the phone lines? Can't we just hook up into there?"

The group stared at Fred, processing what he said. There were moment where Fred had ideas that were ridiculous, others were so brilliant.

"That would work, yeah definitely." Tadashi replied, looking around at the others. Honey leaned into the circle, "Exactly what would we even need to do?"

Hiro grabbed his laptop and his red USB drive. "You take this drive and a laptop, replace the line and hook it up into the laptop you have. Once that's done, stick the infected drive into your laptop and let it make its way into the factory's system."

Gogo nodded at Fred approvingly, "I say we do it. But are we going to need our own laptops?"

The eighteen year old nodded sheepishly. "We'll all need to sacrifice a laptop. Once that virus is loose on your laptop, it's going to wreak havoc on it, until it moved onto the factory's system. Don't worry about being found out if they get your laptop, that virus is going to eat up everything on that thing. Your data will be unrecoverable."

Wasabi grimaced, "Let's hope there's no more than six factories. I honestly don't want to buy another laptop."

Hiro rubbed his nose as he bobbed his head, the city was getting colder and colder by the day. He was surprised it hasn't snowed yet. "Tadashi, also said you were going to pull some info out of that guy you know?"

Tadashi nodded, he stood up and walked into his room to retrieve his equipment. He came back with his own laptop and sat down with the others. They watched him type away furiously on his keyboard till he stopped.

"Meet Gordon Copenhagen. He's currently working for the Inigawas as a side partner, after leaving his job at Krei Tech as one of the lead scientists in the robotics engineering field." On the screen was a light skinned man who had a balding head and a beard. He had a look of unrest both on his face and in his eyes.

Tadashi pressed the arrow to go to the next set of information. "The Inigawas were supposed to get a shipment of weapons coming into the bay around midnight of November 8th. Now, what happened prior to that was Copenhagen made a deal with Yama's gang to set up an ambush."

Gogo spoke up, "The November Massacre? That was his responsibility?" It was an event that the gang had heard of after the day it happened. There had been reports of gunfire at the harbor at night, part of the harbor was under lockdown until the police apprehended the suspects.

Tadashi nodded, he cracked his fingers and yawned. "See, he made a three way switch. Copenhagen was paid handsomely for information about the shipment the Inigawas were bound to get. Yama set his goonies over after they exchanged, then Copenhagen called the cops near a pay phone. Where was I? I was watching from afar."

He pulled up a map on his harbor and pointed to one of the cranes. "I was here, in order to prove my loyalty I had to be a 'field agent', so I was covertly assigned to watch Copenhagen. Later, he was brought to Daisuke Inigawa, current boss of the Syndicate. They believed that he was at fault and set it up. They have a trial system when it comes to these heavy accusations. I happened to be the only witness and I was brought to talk to the boss and underbosses."

"I denied their accusations and told them a lie. Why did I save him? I don't know really, I still don't. But I saved his behind from being tied to a rock floating to the bottom of San Fransokyo Bay."

The story was pretty wild from start to finish, they didn't know what to say. Hiro cleared his throat, "After we blackmail him, we leave him be? Just like that?"

Tadashi understood what his brother was getting at, there was still no justice if they let him walk free. "I'll leave evidence at the police department." They smiled, glad that they would still do the right thing even after they got what they wanted. They still wanted Gordon behind bars after all was said and done.

After their subsequent meeting, the team suited up and met back at the harbor to Tadashi's request. "I needed my motorcycle."

"Unbelievable." Hiro exclaimed.

Tadashi waved him off, "We got here quick didn't we? Besides, Copenhagen doesn't live that far from where we are."

"Once you're talking to him, how're we going to keep in touch with you?" Tadashi kicked the bike stand up and put his black motorcycle helmet on. "You don't."

Hiro had given Tadashi his armor, it was redone and tailored just for him. Baymax tilted his head and watched the group bicker. The robot picked up Hiro from the collar and hoisted him onto his back. "Oh, okay, I guess we should go then?"

Baymax nodded. "It would be wise to leave now. We may lose our opportunity."

Honey, Fred, and Wasabi rode on Baymax, while Gogo and Tadashi rode their way through the streets. They followed Tadashi, he was the one who knew where Gordon lived. Hiro kept a good elevation from the streets, they didn't want to be too noticeable.

"Slow down Baymax, Tadashi stopped ahead of us." The robot slowly descended down onto a building's roof. They were in San Fransokyo's less prosperous district, it wasn't ideal but it was livable for the people who couldn't afford much. Tadashi stepped off his bike and parked it to the side. He didn't look at the team, afraid that it would reveal them.

His boots hit the pavement and headed towards an old apartment complex. The pavement was cracked and there were a few garbage piles around the area. The highway that stretched through the area gave the constant whine of cars zooming by. Some people huddled around a trashcan with fire burning from the top.

He made his way up the stairs to the second story and stopped at the door with a chipped 78 on it. Tadashi knocked in code and waited. The door opened to reveal Gordon, looking sleepy and disoriented.

"Tadashi?" he squinted. The older Hamada nodded. Gordon peered around to make sure no one was behind or beside him. "What do you need? This is kind of impromptu."

"I need to talk with you. It's very important." Tadashi grimaced. Gordon studied his expression and began to shut his door, "Look, I have nothing – "

Tadashi's boot caught the door and he stared at Gordon with a steely look. "It's important." he repeated. The man nodded swiftly and swung the door open again.

"Come on in." Copenhagen stated, making way for Tadashi. Hiro and the others watched Tadashi vanish through that door. Now it was just the waiting game for them.

* * *

><p>I'm trying to still build Honey and Tadashi's relationship, they're an interesting pairing to me. Or maybe I'm just Trash with a capital t. Either way, I really think these two could have great chemistry together (no pun intended) and that they click in one way or another. I have been asked why I didn't make her so bubbly(which is okay I love answering people) and that is because I think that I should make her ecstatic only at certain points. Is she going to be super serious all the time? Not at all, no, I just wanted to show my version of her character progression after three years. She has a lighthearted seriousness in her and at this point and time, she's stressed with school. I would talk more about her, but I don't want to make this bottom a whole chapter in and of itself. Any questions? Feel free to toss them my way!<br>- D.R.


	11. Execute

Greetings! I'm trying to get chapters done ahead of time since I'm going to be quite busy in about a day or so. But, I will try to proofread/write my chapters as much as I can in order to keep what I said. I don't know how much it bothers any of you, but there will be future chapters with some 'explicit' language. Just a heads up. Anyway, for anyone who has trouble finding out the setting in terms of time, it's early December for the gang (because I subconsciously timed it around the same time I'm taking finals -sweats-). I'm having a ball playing with characterization for the cast, I get a good kick with experimenting with portrayal. Really though, if you have any suggestions about how the characters are portrayed or anything else, please message me! I love hearing different ideas, I'm just one mind.  
>- D.R.<p>

* * *

><p>The inside of the apartment was fairly lightly lit and had an odd odor that wafted into his nostrils. Tadashi wrinkled his nose and watched Gordon nervously sit on his couch. He followed after the man and sat on his armchair.<p>

"You can put the gun away. I'm unarmed." Tadashi casually stated. However, anyone could read it as a demand.

He showed his waistband and the inside of his motorcycle jacket to the nervous thirty-year old. Gordon nodded and slipped the handgun out from the pillow, he placed it on the table in front of them. The gun had been hidden behind one of the couch cushions.

Tadashi glanced around and noticed a calendar that marked his birthday last month. "The big three oh now, huh? Happy late birthday."

Gordon slowly eased up his shoulders up and delivered a tense smile, "Thank you. Yeah, I'm feeling older and older. Did you want a drink?"

Tadashi slowly shook his head, "No thank you, I don't want to waste anymore of your time so I'll get down to business." Gordon clasped his hands together and listened intently to what he wanted to say.

"You're working on a program, I'm sure, that has to do with mass production of a stolen exoskeleton." Gordon's frame became rigid as he played with his fingers.

"I am, I'm overseeing the operation, very loosely. I'm only supposed to be one of the people looking at each factory – "

Tadashi clapped his hands together, "Great, so that means you know where all of them are."

"Well yeah of course. Wait why?" Copenhagen sputtered. Tadashi leaned forward and looked him dead in the eye. "I need the locations." Gordon reeled back and frowned, "No way! I mean – no way."

He was cautious about his speaking voice, the man was quite paranoid about being watched. "Are you crazy? I can't do that." he hissed.

Tadashi continued to stare at him with a unmoving visage, "You can. And you will." His tone was tenacious and tranquil, he normally didn't negotiate like this.

However, he knew what made Gordon tick and how he was around pressured situations. He was taking a very dark step, but he was glad that his friends or Hiro didn't have to do it.

"N-no. I won't. I-I can't Tadashi. They'll kill me." Gordon pleaded. Tadashi leaned back on his chair and pressed the tips of his fingers together. He cocked his head to one side as if he was studying him, "Gordon, you're on a fine line right now. You have information I want. I have information that you don't want them to have." By them, he referred to the Syndicate.

Gordon's eyes widened, he knew what he meant. Tadashi had saved him before, but even his savior could become his killer. He was cornered, what choice did he have?

Gordon had a choice, the choice was laid on the table. He shot for the gun, but as soon as his hand came over it, so did the heel of Tadashi's boot.

Copenhagen yelped and drew his hand away from the gun. Tadashi kicked the weapon away from his reach and leaned forward again. The gun clattered near the apartment door with the barrel pointed towards them.

Tadashi's expression didn't change, but Gordon knew he was going to snap sooner or later.

"Look, I'll tell you where they are okay? Just don't kill me." he whimpered, afraid of how aggressive he became.

Tadashi smiled shortly before his face fell flat, "If I wanted to kill you, I would have done it while you were at the door."

Gordon slowly nodded, he rubbed his hurt hand and slowly stood up. "I'll get the papers with the – one sec. Just – just wait." The shaken thirty year old came back with two folded sheets and set them on the table.

Tadashi picked them up and read them carefully. "These are all the locations?" Tadashi spoke as he glanced up at the man who sat on the couch. Copenhagen nodded slowly, relaxing in the current atmosphere. All of the tension they had yesterday slowly diminished as Tadashi's face had a smile on it.

"Wasn't so bad, huh?" He flipped to the other page and looked back up at Gordon.

"You're not going to tell them, right? I gave you what you wanted." he blurted. Tadashi shook his head, "No, I won't tell the Syndicate. You have my word." Gordon nodded and then watched Tadashi get up.

"I'll take my leave now." He went to the door as Gordon followed him. Tadashi bent over and picked up the handgun from the floor. Gordon jumped back in fear, but found the handle pointed towards him instead of the barrel.

Tadashi arched his brow at the man's response, "What? It's yours."

"Oh, oh yeah yeah. Thanks." Gordon cleared his throat and took the gun from him. He place it on a nearby table and watched Tadashi step out. "If this information isn't right Copenhagen, you better invest in a floatation device." he called.

Tadashi heard the door close and he casually made his way back to his bike. He fitted the helmet back onto his head and turned the communication device Hiro implanted. "Deal is done." he spoke into the helmet.

"I heard someone yell, did you hurt him?" Hiro asked concernedly. Tadashi kicked the bike stand up and shrugged his shoulders. "He reached for his gun so I brought my boot down."

He heard Honey gasp, "Are you okay?"

"Oh yeah, he backed off. Either way, Copenhagen can't kill a soul. He's too weak." Tadashi replied darkly. The friends looked at one another, they were concerned. Hiro attached onto Baymax again and had the others load up with him. Gogo followed after Tadashi while the others flew in the air.

Instead of Honey's flat, they went to Fred's mansion instead. Ever since Fred's dad had found out about their hero business, he had a 'hideout' of some sorts constructed beneath their mansion. "Wow, you live here?" Tadash breathed.

"That's what I asked too." Gogo nudged. Fred bounced in his suit, then took Tadashi along. "Welcome to mi su casa!" he exclaimed, leading them to the hideout.

Tadashi glanced at Honey after realizing that his translation sounded a bit weird, she returned a coy and uncertain grin.

"You guys hang out here?" Tadashi muttered, looking at the computers around the room. "For the most part, yeah." Hiro replied, sitting at one of the chairs. He took his helmet off and pulled up a map of San Fransokyo.

"Can I see those?" Tadashi handed the papers to Hiro and sat down at one of the seats between Honey and Fred. Hiro went to working on marking everything for them to see on the map, then he assigned everyone to a specific factory.

"This is all of them?" Tadashi nodded slowly, he hoped it was. "Theres only four. Here, here, and here." he pointed, moving his finger from one dot to the next.

They discussed who was going to be at each station. They also discussed a back-up plan in case anything went wrong, it was something they learned over the years to have. There were cases where one of them got in quite a situation that were almost fatal.

"So, what happens when we get there?" Wasabi asked. He was always the one to ask for a plan, which Hiro was glad for. Wasabi kept the team incredibly grounded and objective in many situations. Hiro took out his laptop and four other USB drives to show them.

"Once you find the box that leads to the poles, hook your cable up in substitution of the cord leading from the pole. Take this USB, plug it in, and let it feed. It's going to do the rest. I'll be in the air with whoever wants to volunteer." Hiro briefly covered.

"Since there's only four, I'll stay atop Baymax." Honey offered. Her bombs could provide aerial support so easily.

"Isn't this cool? We're Big Hero uh – 7 now." Fred piped up. Tadashi smiled nervously, unsure of how to really respond. He wasn't much of a hero, at least in his point of view.

Hiro noticed his look and leaned forward, he held his hand out as a handshake. "So, are you going to help us Mr. Hamada?" Tadashi looked at Hiro with a surprised expression, then he smirked and shook his hand.

"You have my help." he formally stated, letting go of his hand. Hiro clapped his hands together, "It's settled. Let's roll out."

Fred shot up and blocked the door. "Can we do a group hoorah?"

"What – no." Tadashi frowned, trying to push past Fred. "Come on dude, it'll be quick! Just do it with us."

Tadashi made a noise that could be considered a whine and a sigh combined, he turned around and placed his hand down. "There, happy?"

Hiro grinned, they didn't really do this at all. "You guys are such nerds." Tadashi joked, heading out of the hideout.

Gogo and Tadashi separated from the group, they all had their modes of transportation. Hiro dropped Wasabi and Fred off at each of their designated locations. "Tell me when you guys are ready."

Each of them had a backpack that had the computer and the USB, which was all they needed for now. "Okay, find your boxes and hold. Then we'll carry on, I don't want to rush this mission." The four team members hugged the outskirts of their factories.

"Found mine." Gogo spoke up, she hid away until she could move in. "I did too." Wasabi confirmed.

"Fred sees his prey." Hiro took it as a sign of him finding the box.

They waited silently for Tadashi, a minute passed and it made them all uneasy. "You okay Tadashi?"

There was no voice on the other end, this tipped the team off. "Let's check – "

"I'm fine, I found it. Just had trouble." Tadashi confessed. They wondered what he meant by trouble, but simply didn't ask him anymore. "Uh, okay well let's get this started. Everyone move in."

All of the four members followed what Hiro had planned for them. "Hook up the worm as soon as you can." Gogo tapped her finger impatiently, she didn't like being out in the open, but what could she do. She saw her computer screen immediately get a system error, "I got an error, what's that mean?"

"It's working. Take the USB and get out of there. Meet us at the point I marked on your guys' minimap." Gogo didn't need to think twice before she skated out of the area. Over the years she had upgraded her discs, now it allowed her to scale decent sized buildings. She came upon an apartment complex and rode up the wall with her discs.

On one side of her visor was a minimap which tracked her and her teammates. Hiro had upgraded it immensely, voice communication, mapping, it was almost like having a computer on their faces. Her brown eyes spotted Hiro's mark and immediately headed its direction.

"I got the message too. Fred is movin' out." Fred confirmed. He got out of range and super jumped onto the roof tops. Then he moved from building to building with ease. "Man I love this suit!" Fred whooped.

"I'm moving to the rendezvous point now. I'll be there in a few minutes." Wasabi ran from the building as soon as he could. He could already hear shouting and the factory door's being opened by guards. The robots all had short circuited pretty quickly and were now making a racket within the establishment.

"Tadashi how's – " Tadashi's line opened and a few gunshots filtered into their comms. Hiro's eyes widened and immediately made Baymax head towards Tadashi's location. "Don't come! Stay back, if they see you they might associate me with you." Tadashi warned, he could see his dot move towards him.

"What's going on though? I heard shots – "

"The guards were alerted by the other factories shutting down. I got the USB and filtered the virus through the system. I think it got in before they shot it." Tadashi couldn't tell, he had himself pressed against one of the short walls that surrounded the factory's parking lot.

He needed to get to his bike, so he leapt from cover and made a run for his automobile. Tadashi was immediately spotted as he heard some bullets zoom past him, one chipped his shoulder plate. Once he got on his bike, he rode out of the area, hitting the streets at full speed.

"Give me time, they're in pursuit." Tadashi calmly reported. Black sedans had emerged from where he came from and now tailed him on his bike. He leaned forward and tried to take as much turns as he could. Finally he saw his chance as he took a ramp off into the busy highway.

Tadashi watched the barrier that separated the incoming and ongoing lanes for any moments of escape. "There." He stopped his boot to the floor as he made an incredibly edged turn back onto the other side of the lane. The sedans ended up flipping as they tried to imitate the turn.

"I'm free, I'll be there in a second." he breathed, heading into an off ramp to the main road.

"Are you okay?" Honey asked. Everyone could hear his heavy breathing, he had forgotten to turn his comm off.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just, in a bit of pain." he huffed. Tadashi's back was acting up again, he needed his medication. The dot had changed and he found himself back at Fred's house. Gogo had just arrived in time as she hurdled over Fred's tall fence. Hiro and Baymax landed with Honey, Wasabi, and Fred on him. They dismounted and took their helmets off.

Tadashi came around the corner with a hunched posture and his helmet still on. The team ran over and Hiro immediately asked, "What happened? Did you get shot?" He saw the fresh blood on his uniform and assumed so.

"No, this blood isn't mine. It's someone else's." he pushed his hand away. Hiro gently nudged Baymax, who then began scanning Tadashi.

"You are suffering from spinal inflammation. Your nerves are irritated. Do you have medication?" Tadashi nodded slowly, he took the helmet off his head and rubbed his eyes. There was a drained emotion from his face, this pain was something else. He would get it without warning and it would tear him to shreds.

"Where's the medicine?" Wasabi stepped in. "Back in Honey's apartment." Hiro looked at the team and decided that they should take the meeting to Honey's apartment.

"We'll talk about this in her apartment. Let's just get Tadashi his medicine first before we go on."

Everyone agreed and unsuited, they would left their armor in Fred's hideout for the meantime. The only thing they took was their weapons.

Tadashi could feel a shooting ache creep up his spine, it was like being burned all over again. He had a high pain tolerance, however the one he was experiencing was consistent and never-ending till he got what he needed.

The nurse robot helped Tadashi into Honey's loft, he was barely able to walk by the time he was at the blonde's front door. "Gently, gently." Baymax slowly lowered the man onto her couch and stepped back.

"Thanks Baymax." Tadashi groaned. Honey came back with his bag and rummaged through it while she sat down next to him. She pushed the strand of hair that covered her face as she scoured the pockets.

"It's in a mint container." Honey held out a container of Zings in front of his face. Tadashi quickly snatched it from her hand and took out two gel pills. He didn't bother taking a drink, he could barely care for it now. He just wanted to get rid of the crippling feeling. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself down.

"How're you feeling?" The team was sitting on the other side of the couch Tadashi laid on. He didn't move or make a sound, which made the team uneasy. "Hey, how're you feeling?" Hiro shook his brother's shoulder. Fear came over his eyes as Tadashi didn't move.

Honey's eyes widened and she tried to shake him. "Baymax is he – "

"I think he is – "

Tadashi's eyes shot open as he shouted. Hiro screamed and fell back with fear in his eyes. "I got you guys so good!" Tadashi coughed, his laughs turned into wheezes.

Honey smacked his stomach with anger in her eyes, "We thought you died!"

Tadashi coughed, trying to control his laugher. "Oh my god, really? You thought – you thought I died just like that?" he wiped the tears from his eyes. Hiro was still on the ground, looking like a deer in headlights.

When he finally got a hold of himself, he grabbed Tadashi's collar and shook him. "You asswipe! That's not funny! The air horn was funny because no one died! Dead jokes to me aren't funny! Especially when they come from you!"

Tadashi continued laughing like a mad man, sputtering nonsense. The team all stood back, watching the younger brother berate his older sibling. Honey slowly raised her phone and took a photo of the two of them with a smile on her face. "Why are you still laughing!?" Tadashi coughed and he finally calmed down.

"Why? Because I miss these fights we had. Except the part where you cuss me out you little brat." he breathed, his voice hoarse from his outburst. Hiro stared at him like he was crazy. He let his brother's collar go and sighed, "You're psychotic."

"Tell me something I don't know." Tadashi fixed the collar of his shirt and relaxed once more. "Are you two done waking the neighbors?" Gogo sassed.

"Yes, we're done mom." Hiro noticed Tadashi seemed to be more hyperactive after the drug. But he didn't think too much of it. The prescription helped him it seemed.

Hiro sat himself on the other seat and grabbed his laptop, attempting to remember his thoughts. "Okay, so, we got the factories shut down. Now we find where the robots actually got shipped."

The team all gathered around each other, watching Hiro closely. "The second paper noted that, the one Copenhagen gave me. Here." Tadashi took the paper under the map detailing where the factories were. "They're taking them to the harbor. See? Warehouse 28."

Hiro took the paper from his brother's hand and read it over. "It doesn't even say where or who it's going to get shipped to." Hiro noted. The older sibling shrugged his shoulders and clasped his hands together.

"I say we check it out."

"I agree with T." Fred joined. Wasabi and Gogo looked worn to the bone, but they made no protest.

"If everyone is up for it. We can check it out now." Hiro offered. The other members agreed to the plan, they were just as curious to see the shipment area.

"Can you walk Tadashi?" the blonde wondered. Tadashi nodded and stood up, showing her that he was just as mobile as before. "Then it's settled."

Wasabi grabbed his car keys and headed out the door, "Can we drive? Scenery is great and all, but I'm not liking the heights."

"Of course captain." Hiro laughed, following the taller man. They all piled into Wasabi's car, Honey on Tadashi's lap again as Baymax sat in his charging station at the back.

"Let's not enter the harbor all the way, just park right outside. I don't know if there's guards or not." Hiro suggested.

* * *

><p>They proceeded on foot, cautious of every corner that laid ahead of them. Baymax's squeaking became more and more apparent as they moved along. Unfortunately they couldn't do anything about it.<p>

Hiro shot his hand up in front of everybody as he saw warehouse 28. None of them moved, waiting for anything to stir near or within the factory, it was unsettling as to how quiet it was. There was no other sound than faded drone of San Fransokyo and the waters of the bay.

The sun had already descended past the horizon and all that was left was flickering neglected lights. Hiro motioned them to follow him as they cut across the way to press themselves against 28's cold concrete walls.

He pressed his ear against the cold steel door of the warehouse to listen for anyone inside. Tadashi was impressed to see his brother's leadership skills. He could see that he was always as objective and level headed as he could be. _'He really changed a lot.'_

"Need me to cut it down?" Wasabi quietly offered. Hiro glanced at Wasabi and nodded before he pulled away from the door. They watched Wasabi's plasma blades appear, he carefully began cutting the hinges off the door.

Before it fell forward, Tadashi grabbed its handle and prevented it from making a loud noise. He bit the bottom of his lip as he slowly pushed it to the side. The steel scratched against the concrete, until Tadashi pressed the unhinged door to the wall beside the opening.

Moonlight penetrated in from the dusty and dulled window panes from the roof. Baymax's eyes lit up as flashlights, an upgrade that Hiro had for him. "There is no signs of life in this building. It is empty." The robotic hero reported.

Hiro's brows knitted together as he looked around. He couldn't see as well, if in fact at all. Tadashi kept his eyes on the floor, he tilted his head to the side and crouched down.

"What'd you find?" Gogo asked, walking up behind him. Tadashi squinted his eyes and continued to study the clue. "Faded footprints." After he said that, the team gathered behind him to look at what he was talking about.

"I don't see anything." Fred confessed.

"Look closer. Right here and here." He trailed the footprint, asking Baymax to provide illumination. They let him have his room as he followed it to something covered with a tarp. Tadashi's brown eyes dilated and then widened as he realized what the tarp was shaped like.

"Stand back." he whispered quickly. "Wh – why?" Honey asked concernedly.

"Just do it." he whispered just above his breath. The team complied and watched him. Baymax's light hit the tarp to reveal that it was in the shape of a person. If it was a human being, he didn't want them to see it.

"Oh my god." Honey whispered, her eyes widening in horror. Hiro watched his brother step in between them and the hidden person. He grabbed the cover and ripped it off. "What the – "

"What?" Hiro peaked over his brother's shoulder and spotted a slumped Atlas exoskeleton. Except there was something odd about it, the exoskeleton had plating on its chest and limbs. Not only that, it had half of what was supposed to be its head with a unmoving camera lens eye. Tadashi sighed and tossed the piece of fabric aside.

He turned around, "It's just one of your exo – " As soon as he spoke, the robot's head shot up and activated. It sprang from the ground and tackled Tadashi onto the floor. "Argh – !"

"Tadashi!" Hiro screamed, running to his brother. Gogo was about to launch a disc, but realized that Tadashi was with it. The older Hamada felt its robotic hand press against the side of his face, the pain increased as he realized it would try to break his head open like a melon.

He used the closest arm to grab its neck and try to rip its exposed parts out. Honey couldn't launch a bomb, afraid that it would encase Tadashi too. Hiro furiously shoulder tackled the robot off his brother, then Wasabi came around Hiro with his plasma blades to follow up.

His blades came in contact with the robot's chest with the sound of disconnected and ripped electric wiring resounded through the warehouse. The exoskeleton staggered and focused itself on Wasabi. The taller man dodged back as the robot began to swipe at him. There weren't any claws on Atlas or any sharp objects on it's fingers in reality. It was the strength of the robot he was worried about.

Honey tossed her chemical grenade and encased one of its legs to stop it from pursuing Wasabi any further. The robot swiveled its head all the way and attempted to pull its leg out. By the time it did, Gogo already had launched a disc that collided with its arm in rapid succession. The plating bent inwards and the arm halfway snapped. As a result it broke the limb and dislocated the wires that was working the robotic appendage.

Finally Wasabi came in with the final blow. He made an upwards motion with his blade and entered it in from the jaw up to its head. Then he took his second blade and stabbed it right through the ghastly invention's abdomen area.

After that, the humanoid robot's eye faded to black and slumped forward. Wasabi was breathing heavily, he let the blades retract and the unstable automaton fell sideways onto the floor. They stared at it while Wasabi backed away, the ripped and torn wires sparked for a few seconds till it faded away like a flat-lining heartbeat.

Fred broke the silence, "Is it dead?"

Everyone else was too stunned to say anything, they all shot each other doubtful glances. But the creator of it took no hesitation in wanted to inspect it for himself. Hiro walked over to it and kneeled down to study Atlas. "I don't understand. What'd they do to it?" he muttered, turning the head from side to side.

"This isn't what I built Atlas for." His voice rose above more than usual, Tadashi could hear the anger and the frustration in his voice. Instead of it being a smart exoskeleton, it had been turned into a what seemed like a killing machine.

Hiro laid the robot onto its chest and tried to pry the back plating off. He rummaged through the pouches that hang from his belt. He took out a mini plasma cutting tool, a compact tool he made for himself.

He cut the plating off the Atlas clone's back angrily tossed it aside. Hiro fiddled with the wires and found the chip that ran the robot, it was equivalent to a human heart. He carefully ripped it out and placed it in one of his pouches. "We're done here." he muttered.

"They moved the shipment?" Fred spoke, his voice laced with worry.

Hiro nodded as he picked himself up from the floor, "I don't know when. I'll come back tomorrow to examine this place. There might be a clue somewhere here, it's just too dark to really know. I just hope we find it soon." His foot touched the automaton's carcass and then turned his heels to walk out the door.

As the team walked back to Wasabi's car, Tadashi slowed down to match Hiro's walking pace. The others knew that he was quite upset and let Tadashi take the comfort wheel.

"You saw what I wanted to make Atlas for." Hiro had been referring to the showcase event that Tadashi attended. "I did."

The eighteen year old ran a hand through his hair and shut his eyes. "I made him to help save people. Not harm them." Tadashi's look softened, he wrapped an arm around him and gave him a slight squeeze.

"Tadashi, after all of this is over. No one is going to trust Atlas. Maybe not even me. It's frustrating." he said dejectedly. His brother shoved his hands in his pockets and watched his tired exasperated brother.

"You'll fix him and make him whole again. Throughout all that, I'll be there right next to you." Tadashi assured. Hiro deeply inhaled and then exhaled. "Okay, I need to analyze this chip, then we'll go from there."

Tadashi slapped his back, earning a grunt from the young man, "That's what I like to hear from you."

* * *

><p>Sidenote: For the hacking, I really tried to make it as real or at least believable as possible. Having them go about the traditional hacking system was sort of my first draft, but I got a little carried away and wanted them to be more 'involved'. Also, I wanted it to be simple and yet still sort of make sense. This goes for the future chapters as well, I'll always try to make the science or technology as realistic as I can.<p> 


	12. Lapse

This chapter is particularly violent, this won't be the last case just as a warning. I don't have much to say up here, so enjoy.

* * *

><p>The sound of tapping against a keyboard echoed through the garage and through the quiet Hamada household. Hiro hooked up the chip he took from the Atlas doppelganger into one of the external ports his computer had. He was eager to see the coding done on it to see what exactly it's been made to do.<p>

"I have made tea for you." Baymax spoke, standing next to him. Hiro glanced at Baymax, "Aunt Cass taught you how to make tea?"

The robot slowly nodded his head and set down the tray in a space near his desk. "Aunt Cass has taught me a lot of activities. She has taught me baking."

A warm smile came over Hiro's face, he sometimes forgets that Baymax is a robot. But he's seen how human his personality can be, it was amazing and comforting for him. "You think we can find the other robots?"

Baymax blinked, watching the college student type away on his computer. "You will find them. I am certain." His database for emotional support had expanded and advanced to the point of where he knows when he shouldn't include his opinion.

"Thanks, Tadashi thought so too." Hiro mumbled quietly. He's had mixed feelings about his brother ever since he 'returned'. He had always been so caring and so outgoing about it. Now he was reserved and rarely talkative.

It had a lot to do with his injuries and his scars, Hiro could see it. Tadashi would get defensive about his injuries and lack of mobility. He would look away sometimes when you looked him in the eye. He was sure that the rest of the team knew it as well.

"Hiro! I made those hot wings you like, they'll be on the table!" Aunt Cass sang from upstairs.

Hiro poked his head out of the garage, "Thanks Aunt Cass!"

It was almost Christmas too and Aunt Cass would spend another holiday 'without' Tadashi. It ripped at his heart to see her so melancholy about it. Sometimes his friends would come over and spend some of their Christmas with the Hamadas. But at the end of the day, there would be one unopened present near the tree.

"Do you think Tadashi is going to come home for Christmas?" Baymax tilted his head, unsure of really what to say. The companion wasn't good at speculating human responses.

"There is a chance he will." Baymax simply answered. Hiro patted the vinyl arm of the robot and went back to work. He liked to hear his friend's reassurances, he needed it.

Hiro began studying the coding, having it simulated on another screen. A lot of it was programmed with aggressive tactics, someone had programmed the robots to attack other human beings. Hiro had built hyper-spectral cameras in Atlas, just like Baymax, which is what he figured the drones used to identify people.

Nonetheless, he couldn't comprehend how they instilled a mind of its own. There was a willingness that Hiro saw from the robot, it chose to wake up and attack. He rubbed his weary eyes and leaned his head on his forearm.

A blanket came around Hiro as Baymax made sure that the boy was warm. There was no heater in the garage and Baymax recognize that he would sometimes fall asleep at his workstation. The code was incredibly hostile, it was frightening to think that these would ever run amok.

Hiro huffed and pulled away from his workspace and turned his lamp off. He rubbed his temple and made his way out of the garage. "Come support me while I eat the hot wings. I might need your medical assistance after I eat them." Hiro lightheartedly joked.

"I have my defibrillators on standby." Baymax replied. Hiro was so glad his companion developed a sense of humor.

He clambered up the stairs, he could smell the spiciness from here. Was that a good thing?

"Hiro, I found this note in your jacket just now." Aunt Cass held up a crumpled piece of paper from the laundry room.

Hiro cursed at himself as he ran over and plucked it from her hand. "T-thanks Aunt Cass!" he sputtered. The brown hair woman peeked her head out of the room and stared at Hiro.

"Uh – what, there something on my face?" Hiro choked. His aunt's eyes flashed with wonder, "You have a secret admirer!" How did he not see that coming?

Hiro shook his head with his hands up in front of him. "No no, I don't." he defended. That didn't stop her, she came over and grabbed his wrists. "Tell me who she is Hiro Hamada, I have to know."

Baymax stepped up and lifted a finger, "It is a female from his lab."

"Baymax!" The robot looked at him and slowly gave him a thumbs up. "Who, who?" his guardian pried.

"Aunt Cass it's really no one, this is just a note that I was supposed to deliver." Hiro sheepishly stated. Cass looked at him funny then crossed her arms over her chest, "When am I going to get to give you advice?"

Hiro rolled his eyes as he pocketed the note again, "When I actually get a girlfriend." His aunt watched him plop down on his chair and begin to eat. He had gotten so tall now, almost as tall as his brother.

"Did you eat yet Aunt Cass?" he asked as he wiped the sauce from his face. "Not yet." She sat down next to the boy and chatted with him about college. He didn't tell her about the lab being raided, afraid she might get too worried.

A news reporter's voice floated around Honey Lemon's apartment, reaching the blonde's ears as she stepped out of the bathroom. She dressed in her pajamas and an SFIT shirt before sauntering to the living room.

"I thought you were going to bed?" Honey asked, leaning against the wall. Tadashi's eyes shifted to her and he shook his head casually. "I changed my mind. The Vanderbilt Winter Showcase is also starting today."

Honey rubbed the towel against her hair as she made her way over to the couch. She sat down next to Tadashi and pulled her legs up to herself. "That's Michael Van Buren?"

"Yeah, looks like a guy who's in his mid-forties." Tadashi replied, keeping his eyes on the TV screen. Michael Van Buren was a dark grey haired man with white strands of hair mixed in, he had a slender figure and a slightly hooked nose. He had blue eyes and a noticeable greying beard.

The camera followed him around the stage as he talked, it was easy to tell that he was a natural public speaker. "Today, we're proud to announce our new task force automatons, the Striker Mark 5s!"

A set of humanoid robots emerged from the stage behind Michael. They had black visors that covered their whole face, similar to Gogo's helmet. Their frames weren't bulky but it was easy to tell that they were made for speed and possibly strength. Their plating was color white with numbers on their right shoulder.

"These robot are capable of faster response time, compared to the conventional and traditional cops. It's able to easily and quickly pursue and subdue suspects more efficiently than can normal cops. Let me show you." Michael gestured to the screen where it showed a 3D model of the Striker Mark 5s. It broke the legs from layer to layer.

"Reinforced carbon skeletons mixed with parallel rotary joints gives these enforcers almost an unlimited degree of freedom. Its legs allow it to sprint faster with its blade like legging, it's equipped with motors near the hips which give it that extra boost. Finally, it's equipped with hyper spectral cameras with multiple augmented sensors that can detect all 360 degrees of its surroundings."

Tadashi's mouth was open the whole time, he was so fascinated by the robot that they designed. "I'm guessing you like it?" Honey snickered.

"Like it? I love it. I mean, come on, it said proximity." Tadashi watched Van Buren activate one and have it step off its pedestal. It posed for the showcase to show how human and fluid it's motions were. "No more escaped criminals and late responders, Striker M5 will keep the streets of San Fransokyo safe and secure."

The crowd broke out into applause as Michael bowed with his robot enforcers. "The boys in the blue won't be happy about this."

Honey arched her brow, "You think?" She continued to watch the tech show, Tadashi was pondering something else however.

"It's timely, don't you think? The whole Atlas problem and suddenly Van Buren is showcasing their new robot." Tadashi leaned his elbow on his knee as he rested his head on his palm.

Honey studied the screen again, she understood what she meant. "We speculated things with Krei too. But that wasn't true."

The man nodded in recognition, "I see. Well, I'm going to bed, I need to charge these things up." He stood up and said a short goodnight to the girl. She got nothing more and nothing less. Then he made his way back to his room and gingerly closed his door. Honey's forehead crinkled, she wondered if he was oblivious of her feelings.

She would have guessed that Hiro gave him the note by now, maybe he simply didn't want to say anything about it. The blonde rubbed her face in frustration, she should be studying for finals.

Honey turned the TV off and dragged herself to her room to study for her chemistry finals.

* * *

><p>The finals for SFIT came around and the gang was busier than ever. They gathered at coffee shops, libraries, and each other's homes to study. None of them forgot the situation they were still dealing with so Tadashi kept close tabs on the city.<p>

Hiro's brother took it upon himself to investigate the warehouse for clues as well, but had come up short. The clones had disappeared out of thin air, it was all left to speculation as to how it was smuggled through the busy city.

Tadashi wandered the streets as much as he could, especially in the shadier parts of San Fransokyo. He asked around every now and then, hustling people for information about any large convoys. Like before, his information pocket was empty.

It was impossible to believe, as to how a Syndicate could just hide them so easily. He wasn't a trained soldier either, he couldn't just infiltrate them like some action hero.

A rider donned in black rode his black motorbike through San Fransokyo's highway. Tadashi's foot unconsciously pressed on the pedal of his bike, increasing the speed as he rode through the spacious road.

It was a thrill to ride a motorbike, it also allowed him to dismount easily. Using one was a decision he made as soon as he realized he needed speed. He was afraid that a car would just end up trapping him if he ever got in an accident.

Tadashi was heading to one of the bot fighting arenas in south San Fransokyo, he was also familiar to it. Tadashi always took his bot fights here, earning a pretty good reputation in that arena. What was special about it was that it was also an underground fight club ring.

He parked his bike in one of the alleyways and dismounted to kick the stand down. Today he wasn't here to compete, only for information.

He rubbed the side of his face and took out his pill container, his back was acting up again. '_Must be from the ride.'_ He popped a pill in his mouth and shivered, letting the feeling sink in. In the back of his mind, he knew he was dependent on the drug, it was the only thing he depended on for his pain.

Tadashi ran a hand through his hair and entered the back of a store, where a set of stairs descended to the bottom. It was almost like walking right into the underground world. He stood in the audience with the other people. Occasionally, he would start a conversation with someone next to him.

He took careful note as to who he was talking to, making sure he didn't accidentally talk to someone in the Inigawa Syndicate. Tadashi had become increasingly frustrated at the lack of information, he hated being left in the dark. Finally, he left after an hour and a half of interrogation.

"When are you coming around to fight again?" the manager asked slyly.

"When I get what I want." he called. That was a lie, he didn't want to return to doing anymore criminal activities. Hiro and the others would be disappointed in him, a feeling he would never be able to swallow or accept.

Tadashi pulled his jacket closer and secured his helmet atop his head. As he crossed the street to his bike, he heard the sound of someone struggling nearby. Tadashi lifted his visor and looked around, trying to locate the noise.

"Stop, I'll give you the money!" a kid screamed. That was all he needed to find the person in need. In one of the nearby alleyways was two men, one of them was holding the boy back as the other ripped what looked like a robot to pieces. What set Tadashi off was there was a butterfly knife to the teenager's neck, the blade was dangerously close to his skin.

Something in his kicked in, anger overtook him and it clouded his judgment. Tadashi's stride broke into a run as he grabbed a trash lid along the way.

"Shut it you runt!" The man holding the kid threw the teenager to the side and treaded towards Tadashi. The thug came at the Hamada with the knife, he ended up embedding it into the trash lid. Tadashi spun the lid and disarmed the man. He kicked him in the chest with his boot and ripped the knife out of his makeshift shield.

He threw the lid like a Frisbee and had it slam into the other figure's face. "Argh – my eye!"

The disarmed man pulled out an extendable baton and swung at Tadashi, hitting him right in the arm. He reeled back and grabbed the arm of the thug, Tadashi twisted it to the point of breaking the arm. The man screamed and crumpled to the ground.

The teenager was already too scared to even stay any longer, he grabbed his broken bot and ran away. Tadashi took the extendable baton from the thug and went to deal with the other figure. He cursed at Tadashi in Japanese as he wielded a butterfly knife.

He swung at Tadashi a few time, only catching him but opening a cut in his motorcycle jacket. "Come on! Come at me you freak!" he shouted at the helmeted vigilante. _'Freak.'_ He caught the man's next swing and brought the baton down on it.

The man dropped the knife and screamed, Tadashi collapsed the baton and grabbed the man's shoulder with his other hand. He smashed his helmet against his face and threw him onto the ground. Tadashi pinned the man down and began to repeatedly collide his fist with the man's face.

His victim tried to grab at his shoulders and neck, but he found himself dazed by the blows.

"S-stop! Please!" His voice was but a distant muffle, barely filtering through Tadashi's helmet and anger. _'Eighteen. Nineteen. Twenty. Twenty-one. Twenty-two.'_ Crack. Was it over? The struggle ended as soon as the man's jaw and cheekbone fractured from his knuckles.

The man ceased to move, no sound emanated from his bloodied lips. all he could hear was his heavy breathing and his heartbeat pounding in his ears. The thug's eyes were closed and blood began to stain the asphalt beneath them.

Flecks of red tainted his vision as he got a hold of himself. His head was pounding and his mouth had dried up. What just happened? He felt like the weight returned back in his arms, this time it was heavier.

He shakily got up from the limp figure and stepped away. The other one who was with him crawled over to him and touched his neck. His eyes looked up at Tadashi's black blood covered visor, "Y-you killed him. You killed him." Tadashi inertly stood there, staring back at the man. He tried to register what the man was saying, but it was muffled. _'Killed. Killed him.'_

"You killed him." the man whispered, his voice cracking and breaking. Tadashi sucked in his breath and quickly turned away. He left the man as he heard the sound of sirens in the distance. He immediately got on his motorbike and sped away. When he was far enough, he stopped at a parking lot under one of the highway ramps.

It was heroism gone wrong, he got caught in the heat of the fight. All of the pent up frustration from not finding Atlas and the last few weeks have built up to this. Now it came crashing down as if he was getting a reality check. He had an 'issue' that he didn't know how to fix.

Tadashi ripped his helmet off and wiped the sweat off his face with his hand. He turned the helmet around to see how much blood was on the visor, but stared at a man whose face was covered in blood. It was him.

He looked at his hands and saw the fresh red substance darkly cover his gloves. He had accidentally wiped it on his face. Tadashi quickly slipped them off and tossed them on the ground. He took his jacket off and let the cold air come in contact with his burning skin.

The older Hamada sat on the cold pavement with his knees bent up and his arms rested on his caps. He tried to calm himself down, realizing what he had really done. He had killed someone. He didn't mean to. Tadashi pressed his face even more into his hands and took in a deep breath.

'_Why didn't I stop?'_ A million questions ran through his head and he felt tears prickle the corner of his eyes. He bit his knuckles and squeezed his eyes shut. _'I killed a person with my bare hands.'_ His silent cries were drowned out by the roar of the highway above him. After he let it all out, he pressed his face into his hands to try and get his head straight.

Tadashi sat there for almost an hour, motionless and soundless. "Tadashi?" Hiro's voice reached his ears. He slowly raised his hand out of his face and saw his brother and the rest standing in front of him. The team had followed the tracking chip that his brother implanted on his jacket and helmet.

Hiro's eyes landed on the discarded helmet and jacket, he squinted and saw dark smudges on Tadashi's face. The color of it was too hard to tell under the limited light.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Hiro asked nervously, something had happened. The brother nudged Baymax, who turned his flashlight on and shined it on the sitting twenty-one year old.

His eyes widened and a gasp escaped Honey's mouth. He immediately strode to his brother's side and attempted to pry his hands off his face. "Tadashi, let me see, there's blood on your face."

Tadashi's pupils were wide open and dilated, as if he was in shock. His hands didn't move from his face as it covered anything below his cheekbone. The rest gathered around him, examining the look on his face. "He is in shock." Baymax reported.

"Tadashi, I need you to talk to me. What happened?" Hiro asked softly, he didn't want to be demanding. It looked like he could break at any moment. A minute passed, then another one, it became apparent that Tadashi was mumbling to himself.

"We can't hear you Tadashi." Honey said in comforting voice.

"I killed him."

The team froze after he said that, it was impossible and almost unbelievable to accept. "What do you mean? Killed who?"

"A man. I killed a man." he blankly stated, his eyes remained open. Hiro and Honey slowly pulled his hands away from his face, finally to see the paintbrush like smudges of blood on his face.

"Let's get him home. It's cold out here." They agreed and helped Tadashi walk into Wasabi's car. Fred slipped into the back with a deflated Baymax while Hiro and Honey piled into the back with Tadashi.

"Shouldn't we take him to the hospital?" Wasabi suggested. "No, not like this." Honey interjected.

Tadashi's motorcycle was left at the lot as they drove away. "Are you hurt T? Can you hear me?" Hiro asked, making his brother face him. Tadashi stared at his brother and slowly nodded. Baymax peeked his head from the back and scanned Tadashi, "There is a bruise forming upon his right forearm."

Hiro rolled up Tadashi's sleeves to check and found a dark spot forming on his arm. "He does."

Hiro examined it closely, the area had a light blue and purple tint. It was fresh, but it would soon get darker and darker.

Once they were at Honey's complex, they quickly brought him up and into her loft. They sat Tadashi down on the couch and let Honey tend to him. Hiro placed his helmet and jacket onto the counter where there was light.

"There's blood on his visor." Gogo muttered. Fred brought some tea and a wet towel to Honey for her to give to Tadashi. The blonde tended to her friend, gently wiping the blood off his face. Wasabi, Gogo, and Hiro inspected the damage on Tadashi's equipment.

"I put a recording device in his helmet. It video tapes anything. We should check the footage and see what happened." Hiro was afraid to see what was on the chip, but he needed to know what really happened. Tadashi was still too shaken to talk.

He pulled the thin data card from his helmet and went into his room with Gogo and Wasabi. Honey glanced down at her friend, he had calmed down and was now drinking the tea silently. "Hey, I'll be right back, okay?" She leaned down and kissed his temple to go join the others.

"What's on the camera?" She could hear the faint sound of screaming on the laptop screen, Hiro beckoned her to come closer. She joined the rest around Hiro's laptop and watched the scene unfold from Tadashi's point of view.

"Listen to his breathing. It's erratic and heavy." Wasabi pointed out. They watched him take down the first man, all they could hear was his breathing and their muffled voices through the visor. When it finally came to him pinning the man, they heard his breathing get heavy again.

Honey put a hand over her mouth as he repeatedly beat the man with his fist. Some of them had to look away from the screen, there was just too much happening on the screen. Hiro sped it up to where he dropped the helmet and sat on the floor.

"It's his anger, I don't understand why he's so abnormally violent." Hiro was speechless, he just watched his own brother beat a man to the point of death. Honey took her hand away from her mouth, there was shock in her green orbs. "This isn't him. There's something wrong, maybe we should check his medication?"

Ever since they reunited with Tadashi, his problem had become more apparent. Hiro thought that it was a new attitude he developed. But after what he learned tonight, he knew his brother would have stopped after the first punch. He counted, almost twenty five swings to the incapitated thug's face.

But what Honey said was a start. When they walked back into the living room, they were surprised. Baymax was leaning over the older Hamada, hugging him as he pressed his face in his hands. They rushed over and Hiro looked up at Baymax for an answer. "Emotional distress." he answered.

"I didn't want to. I should have stopped, but I couldn't." he choked. Hiro wrapped his arm around his brother as the others did as well. "Tadashi, we know. Relax, we'll fix this. I promise." Tadashi had spilled his tea over his shoes and onto Honey's carpet.

They slowly pulled away to see a dejected red eyed man, it was easy to see the self decay reflected in his dull brown eyes. Honey leaned forward and gingerly took the cup and plate from his hands. Gogo offered to take it to the sink.

"Tadashi, we're here for you. We're a team." Wasabi spoke up. Tadashi nodded and looked at his hands, he anxiously played with his fingers.

Fred put his hand on his friends shoulder and sucked in his breath, "We mean it dude, you can always count on us." A slight and quick smile rippled through the older Hamada's features, but he simply bobbed his head. Hiro slowly stood up and inhaled heavily, "Tadashi, where's your medication?"

"In my jacket. Mint container."

Hiro went to the kitchen and searched the jacket until he pulled a faded mint tin out. He let Baymax scan it to see the properties. "There is a large amount of hydrocodone in each pill." the robot noted.

Honey's brow scrunched together, "That's dangerous, high dosages of hydrocodone can make the user really easy to anger and in some cases, violent." She had walked into the kitchen area to hear the properties.

Hiro moved around Honey and entered the living room again, "Tadashi, you have to stop taking these. I think they're the ones causing your outbursts."

Tadashi looked up from his hands and saw the pills in his hand. "No, I can't Hiro. Those are the only ones that work. None of the store brands work." He was standing up at this point, walking towards Hiro. His brother shook his head slowly and kept an eye on him.

"Tadashi, there's a lot of hydrocodone in these pills. I don't know where you got them or how, but you need to stop." Tadashi stopped moving towards him and tried to steady his breathing. "How am I going to stop the pain? I can't take it Hiro, every time it happens. I don't get a warning of when it's going to happen, it just does."

His voice was higher than normal now, he was eyeing the pills. Hiro knew they just entered a field of broken glass, his plan could either hit or miss. "We're going to get you over it. We'll get you medical help, okay? You won't need these anymore Tadashi. You don't need them." Hiro wanted to reassure him, otherwise he might still go for it.

The younger sibling handed the container to Honey and slowly approached his brother. He gently placed his hands on his shoulders, "For once, trust me on this. I'm going to help you." Tadashi's eyes moved away from the container to meet his siblings.

"I'm not giving up on you, T."

His words were familiar to his ears, all too familiar. He had said it many times at night while he worked on Baymax and it worked. Tadashi was able to make Baymax fully functional, maybe Hiro could do the same. It may not be the case that he isn't 'functioning' right, some guidance is what he just needed. He didn't realize how much tunnel vision he actually got over the years. Hiro had become worried, his brother seemingly suddenly became distant.

Still, it was apparent that there was some self decay that had happened inside of him. He was no psychologist, but it was easy to see that something wasn't right. He gently shook Tadashi's shoulders to break his dazed stupor. Hiro tried again.

"Okay?"

"Okay."

* * *

><p>I have plans for Tadashi's progression, I don't mean for him to sound erratic right now without reason. Hehe He's not exactly fully healthy, physically he looks like he is, but I haven't revealed the whole story as to what happened to him in the three years he went dark. That's for another time! See you all, I think some of you have finals and I wish you the best on it. Good luck.<p>

- D.R.


	13. Recover

I read over Chapter 12 and noticed some of the errors. I edited before releasing it and I think I messed up a few things in possibly a paragraph or two. I fixed it anyway and updated it. I don't usually like doing last minute editing because stuff like that happens, but there was a point that I skimmed over and didn't look right to me anymore, so I ended up changing it. Anyway, here's the chapter.

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><p>Tadashi's pills were disposed that night. His surveillance of the city continued in Fred's hideout, where he could use the more advanced computers. Hiro had decided to try and rehabilitate his brother with the help of the others. While they sat in Wasabi's home to study, they discussed how they would go about it.<p>

"Well we could do that, but isn't that dangerous?" Wasabi interjected. Hiro played with the pencil in his hand, thinking it over. "True."

Honey brought the cup down from her lips and watched the two toss ideas back and forth. "Maybe start slow, like have him walk on a treadmill or something." she spoke.

Gogo continued working on her paper, but glanced up, "Honey is right. He might get overwhelmed."

Hiro rubbed the side of his face and groaned, "This is difficult. There's just, so much to do and I do want to help him. I'm just so bogged down."

Honey set her tea down and fixed her bun. "Hiro, since he's living with me, just give me a list of stuff I should do. I'm always willing to help him, you know that." She felt guilty to see the boy so stressed, he was only 18, he didn't need gray hair yet.

"Yeah, I'll do that. I'll come in when I can and make sure to be there by his side." he agreed. They continued to study throughout the night, taking breaks every now and then.

When their study session ended, they all began packing up to head out. "I was thinking, should I bring Tadashi home to Aunt Cass for Christmas?"

It sounded heartwarming, but he didn't even know if Tadashi would agree. "How're you going to make him go?" Gogo pondered, closing her backpack up.

Hiro pulled the straps of his backpack forward and shrugged his shoulders. "Somehow talk him into it. But I got like, what, two weeks?" Wasabi folded his arms across his chest and looked over at Honey.

"Why not have Honey talk to him? He's always had a soft spot for her." he teased. Honey shot a glare at him, not saying anything. "Why would he listen to me over Hiro?"

Hiro actually considered it, she could definitely be a catalyst. "He's not that wrong, Honey." Wasabi smirked and gestured to Hiro in approval.

"Did you even give my letter?" Honey wondered, looking at Hiro suspiciously. The raven haired boy grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "Well – "

"Hiro! You promised." she whined. Hiro threw his hands up in the air, "I know, I did. But I lost track. I got so excited that he was back." He pulled it out and held it out to her.

"Why not give it to him yourself? Huh?" he cheekily offered. Honey's eyes narrowed at the clever boy before taking the note from his hands. "Fine, I will." No she wouldn't, she was too scared too.

"That's the spirit!" Fred cheered.

The team separated, saying their goodbyes before they all headed home. Honey fumbled with the keys to her door, she was nervous after trying to work up the courage to speak to Tadashi.

The door opened to reveal a tired looking man, "Here. I could hear those keys from a mile away."

"Sorry, thanks." she smiled coyly. Honey stepped inside and let him close the door. She watched him in the corner of her eye as he dragged himself back to the living room to watch more TV.

The blonde hung around the kitchen for a bit, occasionally stealing glances at Tadashi. Little did she know, the twenty one year old did the same. She was preparing them dinner, so she switched the stove on. Her letter hung from the pocket of her long coat.

Honey had gotten too distracted at one point and her hand met the wrath of the warm stove. "Ow!" she yelped.

Tadashi was startled from his trance and immediately shot up from the couch. "Honey? What happened?" He made his way to the kitchen and saw the blonde run her hand over cold water. "Nothing, I just burned myself." she whimpered.

He exhaled in relief, afraid she had cut herself or something of that sort. "Did you want me to get you some cooling gel?" he offered. She shook her head and turned the faucet off. "Don't worry, I'll get it myself. Can you watch the stove for me? I'm heating up some oil."

Tadashi nodded and moved out of her way as she went to get some relief for the burn. His feet touched an object on the ground, he recognized it as a folded paper. Tadashi leaned over and picked it up, he looked around for any signs of her. Once it was clear, he opened it and read it.

His brows lifted and his brown eyes suddenly filled with intrigue and admiration. A smile overcame the man's face as he folded it and tucked the paper in his cardigan. "I didn't know that." he murmured against his smile.

"I'm back, is the oil simmering?"

"Oh yeah, it's simmering." Tadashi smiled. Honey's brow arched, she was tipped off by his smile.

"Did something happen?" The man wiped the smile from his face and shrugged. "Oh nothing, I just remembered something funny."

Honey called him weird and gently nudged him as she walked back to the stove. "I'll set up the table." She thanked him and went back to cooking dinner for the two of them. _'Wait a minute, we never eat together.'_ The only time that they had eaten together was when he first came.

Ever since then, he would sit at the couch to eat and she would watch him from afar. Honey was so confused by his sudden change in demeanor.

When she finished, she brought the plate of food to the table. Tadashi had set up the table as if it was a restaurant, she was really taken aback by the gesture. "What do you want to drink, water?" he asked as he came around with two glasses.

She wanted to be bold and say wine, but she ended up saying water instead. Tadashi set the glasses of water on each side and pulled Honey's chair back for her. "Why the sudden gestures, Mr. Hamada?" she teased.

"Oh nothing, just being a gentleman." he nudged. She watched him sit on the other side of the table, he was instantly going for the food. To think that she would expect what she was thinking of.

As they ate silently, she would steal glances just to get every detail of his expression. She loved to see him so happy. Yet, his happiness was not from the food, but from the note. Tadashi was internally screaming, he didn't think he would get this far.

He just wanted to be a gentleman, he really didn't know what else to do at this point. "I'm guessing you like it?" Honey laughed, watching her friend eat away at her dish.

Tadashi nodded as he tried to swallow the food in his mouth, he suddenly got so nervous that he forgot to digest. "It's amazing. What is it?"

"Pollo fajitas. It's a simple dish." she replied. He wouldn't say it out loud, but he loved to hear her speak Spanish. "It's a great one. You have to teach me sometime."

She bobbed her head as she chewed her food. Silence passed over them as they continued to eat. Tadashi could see the note sitting snuggly in the pocket of his cardigan, it was teasing him. How would he even bring it up?

He looked up and saw that Honey was rummaging through her coat for something. "Tadashi, did you see any note on the ground? Maybe you threw it away."

Tadashi pulled the piece of paper from his cardigan, "No, I didn't. I have it." Her green eyes met his and widened, "U-um, you didn't read it right?" Her heartbeat began to increase with every second that passed. She could feel the tips of her ears burning up from embarrassment.

"Erm, I did." Great. She had just decided not to tell him until later in his recovery, but it seemed that time would come sooner. Honey bit the bottom of her lip and realized why he was suddenly acting so weird. "So?" she whispered, her voice fleeting in the moment.

He slowly stood up and rubbed the back of his neck, anyone could tell that he was burning up as well. Tadashi could barely muster a word, how would he say it without sounding so cheesy. But did that matter?

Honey cleared her throat and breathed in deeply. "Tadashi, you don't have to respond, you know that right." she brushed her hair behind her ear and began to fold her jacket up. Feelings could fade over time, she knew this. But it hurt to when she was left holding onto the other part of their hearts.

Tadashi slowly walked over to her as she did so. A pair of calloused hands gently cupped her face as the gentleman coaxed her to look at him just for a second.

She tensed up and dropped the jacket, her eyes met his in brief succession. Her eyes trailed the burn scars that came adorned his face, finally able to see the clear details. Tadashi noticed this and immediately tensed up. Discomfort raved in his sights as he tried to move his eyes away, but she kept his glued to hers.

It was then in that moment that he knew Honey didn't see him any differently. There was a silent understanding that it was okay, everything was fine and the scars was just a brief flesh wound. From the beginning, it was never the physical burn scars that left a mark on his heart, it was the insecurity. In those short moments, she mended a bit of the wound inflicted on his spirit.

Perplexed, they stood there for the longest time. All the sounds faded into a distant hum and the city's neon lights dimmed for them. In that same instance, Honey felt a pair of soft lips press against hers as her eyes slowly closed. Amusingly, he didn't have to lean down at all, both of them were incredibly close in height. The small stubble that poked from his face tickled her, making her smile against his mouth.

The gesture of affection sent a jolt through her system, traveling from her brain all the way down to her toes. It ricocheted back as wildfire, warmth rushed to her cheeks as her heart hammered in her chest. Tadashi's heart had already began beating a mile per second as his mind screamed at him.

The kiss felt like it lasted for eternity, which wasn't long enough for any of them. Still, both of them couldn't complain. His lips left a tingling sensation upon hers after he pulled away. Their foreheads found one another as Honey's arms winded around his neck.

"So?" he croaked, he was completely weakened by her. Even with the exoskeleton holding him up, he felt so feeble being so close to her. It would be unfortunate and embarrassing if he just collapsed on his knees right then and there.

Her green eyes continued to stare into his brown ones, her fingers gently brushed at the hair on the back of his neck. "Huh?" she blankly stated, there was a small open smile on her features.

Tadashi bit the bottom of his lip as he tried not to burst out laughing at her expression. She looked like a wide eyed child, fascinated and yet bewildered. "I gave you my answer."

"W-wha? To what?" she stuttered, slowly getting a grip of the moment.

"On your note. Somewhere on there you asked if I lived, would we ever be something more than close friends." he coaxed gently. Honey's mouth slowly opened and slowly understood what he was talking about.

The note she gave to Hiro wasn't a note she wrote on the same day, it had been a love letter she had been meaning to place on his gravestone. It was a confession of everything she meant to say to him before he had 'passed away'. It was one of the ways she had grieved, writing helped her project her emotions onto a page. Their affections weren't one side, the rest of the team knew it.

There was always an everlasting spark between the two of them, shown by the way they interacted on a daily basis. Even Tadashi's younger brother knew it, he would blabber endlessly about the girl with stars in her eyes and golden hair that came down from her head like sun rays. Her voice sang through clear day like bells and chimes, working in perfect unison.

All the poor boy could do was gag after his brother romanticized his love interest.

"I'm guessing, that's a yes?" she squeaked. Tadashi bobbed his head as a small laugh escaped his lips, "Yes, it always was a yes."

Confidence and bliss welled up in Honey's chest as he reassured her musings. Honey's arms pulled her closer to him until her face was pressed against his neck. "I never thought I'd get this chance in my lifetime." she confessed. It had become a distant dream to her when she and the others lost him, a fictitious memory in the back of her mind.

Her voice rippled against his skin like gentle gusts against a watery surface. His arms carefully encircled her waist as he stood with her. "Me too." he breathed, his voice barely above a whisper.

They stayed in that position, except they fell into a slow and gentle sway after a while. Honey had never felt so relieved and relaxed in her life, the burden of school and her personal life fell off her shoulders after what happened.

Tadashi was at ease, he had been quite upset and taciturn since that night, but he felt some of his concerns slip away. He felt her lips touch his cheek, which he gladly leaned into. "Maybe we should finish eating our dinner." he muttered. In reality, he could care less.

"Unbelievable." she chuckled, smiling against his skin. For someone who seemed so rough now, his lips had been awfully soft, not that she minded. "Just a minute more." she commanded.

"As you wish." he curtly heeded. This moment felt surreal to the Latina, she really hoped it wasn't some dream. She didn't notice that she was so close that she was actually standing right on top of his foot. He didn't seem to bother, that or he really couldn't feel it.

"Alright miss, let's seriously go before your food get cold." he instructed. Albeit he was still wearing a stupefied expression from what happened just a few minutes ago. Honey's laughter filtered through her apartment as she followed after him. Only he would think about eating right after what happened.

They ended up chatting the night away as they finished their dinner. They stood side by side, cleaning and putting away everything around her kitchen. All the while they teased and enjoyed one another, engrossed in each other's presence.

In the background, the TV reporter had done a follow up story on the man that Tadashi had supposedly killed. It was confirmed that the man was alive and breathing, still in critical condition with little to no memory of what happened. The other man who was with him defiantly reported that it was a man in a black helmet, describing Tadashi's attire from head to toe.

The TV turned off as Honey absentmindedly turned it off. Tadashi wiped his hands on his sides as he came around the kitchen. "Heading to bed?" Honey approached, slipping her hands with his.

The black haired man bobbed his head, "I need some shut eye. You drained me." Honey gently pushed his shoulder and began tugging him along. "Then sleep with me tonight." Tadashi's face burned bright red as his feet carried him. "Aren't we – well – already?" he stuttered.

Honey gently poked his nose, "I literally mean sleep with me, Tadashi. Not what you're thinking." Tadashi huffed, sometimes her vagueness eluded him. "I still got my support on."

"It's fine, just set them aside." she said casually, undoing her bun. Tadashi crashed on her bed, sighing as he sank into her comfy bed. It was much more welcoming than his, not that he minded. He slowly dislodged the support from him and set it on the floor next to her bed.

It felt weird without it sometimes, he felt weak in a way. Tadashi laid his feet on her bed and once again fell back into her mattress. "Liking my bed?" Honey teased. Tadashi nodded proudly.

She closed her door and slipped into the covers next to him, then finally nestled up to his frame. He wrapped his arms around the woman and slowly relaxed into the bed's embrace. "Sleep tight, Honey." He pressed a kiss against her hair and closed his eyes.

"Night Tadashi." Needless to say, that was the best sleep he's gotten in ages.

* * *

><p>"Wow this is awkward." Honey's eyes shot open as she heard Fred's voice. She slipped out of Tadashi's hold and saw their friends standing at the doorway. Hiro's mouth was slightly open as he looked around her frame to get a look at Tadashi.<p>

"Did you guys – "

"No!" Honey answered, already knowing what Fred was going to ask. Tadashi didn't even bother getting up, he was too flustered to show his face. The raven haired man dug his face deeper into Honey's soft pillows. "How did you guys even get in?"

Gogo held up a key, "Remember you gave this to me in case anything happened? I called your phone too. I even did the whole 10 minute warning thing that I was coming in." Honey remembered she handed a spare to Gogo for any circumstances that might happen.

Hiro walked over to Tadashi's figure and shoulder, "Finally you guys stopped beating around the bush. I've never seen him sleep with such a relaxed face. Looks like a wee child."

"I heard that you brat." Tadashi muttered, his eyes still closed and half his face embedded in Honey's pillow. He had little willpower to even get up anymore, partially because of how comforting Honey's bed was and the other was that his friends walked in on them.

"I hate to be a killjoy but we have work to do. Well we have news actually, good and bad." Hiro pointed out.

"Give me the good news." he apathetically mumbled. "The guy you beat happens to be alive. He had stopped breathing for a few minutes and as soon as you ran off, the police and paramedics came. He was resuscitated and is now in critical condition."

His eyes shot open as he listened to the news. Tadashi breathed a soft sigh of relief, he was happy but still sitting in the shadow of his regret. He sat up and gestured for him to continue.

"Bad news is there was a report that we intercepted from the police responders about a 'violent killer android'. The person was reported with bruises on their face and some scratches here and there. The story isn't mainstream yet, but I'm sure the journals are going to be eating it up soon. I'm also worried about the image it's going to portray."

Hiro crossed his arms over his chest and glanced out the window where the city hustled and bustled. "People aren't going to trust robots for a while after this Tadashi. There's going to be a massive fallout in robotics. They're even going to be scared of robots like Baymax." He gestured to the marshmallow bot, who tilted his head in curiosity.

Hiro wasn't far off from his claim, people could reel back so easily after more of the incidents happen. San Fransokyo was a booming technological hub, it would hurt the city's reputation if a 'robot rebellion' broke out from such a place. The conspiracy theorists would be shaking their fists at lobbyists and scientists alike.

"No information as to where the bot came from?"

"None, the PD is currently looking into it. It ended up getting away is what they said."

"I'll go back to searching again – " Hiro put his hand up in front of Tadashi before he even had the chance to get his exoskeleton.

"Heathcliff is working on it right now too. Thanks to Fred of course. You do remember we still need to get you off that drug." Tadashi closed his mouth and wrinkled his nose. He was beginning to rethink his decisions about entering Hiro's 'rehabilitation' idea. Still, he was fully aware that it was necessary.

The older man shrugged his shoulders. "Where do we being then?"

Hiro ran his fingers deftly through his semi-long hair. "We decided we're going to start by taking you to SFIT's Disability Research facility." Was he insane? Tadashi narrowed his eyes at his brother, waiting for him to say it was a joke. But nothing followed after.

"Hiro, I have a hall named after me. My face it everywhere, it's been slapped on an unholy twenty-four by thirty-six picture canvas with a really expensive frame. You really expect me to waltz in like nothing happened?" he fumbled, his annoyance seeping into his voice.

His friends chuckled in the background, knowing what he was referring to. It was weird at first to see Tadashi on a picture canvas in the memorial hall, but they didn't complain about it. Hiro nodded with a mellow expression, he predicted his brother would react like this. Of course he wasn't going to waltz him in like nothing happened.

"Look, we're going to sneak you in and do tests when the students aren't using it. It's not a big deal really." Hiro affirmed. Tadashi was apprehensive, but he relaxed and sighed.

"Do you trust me?" Hiro asked shortly.

Tadashi nodded, scratching his stubble ridden chin, "I trust you." He'd been so used to having Hiro depend on him that it was odd to depend on his younger brother. Hiro was capable, he knew this, and he was aware that he should stop trying to take control of everything.

Maybe that was the source of his frustration and hostility, it was the underlying discomfort that he would be 'useless' or no longer needed. Independence was his shield and altruism was his weapon. For someone who worked in robotics, he developed a sense of purpose and duty which later became central to his character.

He understood this, but it was his very own two edged sword. He learned that he could get cut by it too when he ran after Callaghan.

Hiro rubbed his chin, watching Tadashi's face as if he was trying to think of something. It unnerved Tadashi when someone watched him or studied him. "What?"

"Keep the look you have now. Look as unrecognizable as you can. People recognized you as someone who was always clean cut in appearance and style."

Tadashi glared at his brother, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Hiro smirked and shrugged, "That you look kind of like a – I don't know, a ruffian."

"Vagrant." Baymax added. "Unbelievable."

"Just telling it like it is. Now come on get dressed, they're not using the facility today." he nudged. They waited for Tadashi to get ready, before taking him into the car. They brought his wheelchair in case, Hiro suspected that he might need to use it to look less noticeable. His older brother was quite fit and tall, he had his own distinct figure that people could most likely tell from a mile away.

* * *

><p>"I miss this place." Tadashi stepped out of the vehicle, but was immediately shoved back inside by Hiro. "Ow! Hiro what the heck?" he snapped.<p>

"Dude, I can't just have you walking around, even your build is too recognizable." he sharply explained. Tadashi made a noise from the back of his throat and slipped into his wheelchair. "Just shove me in a body bag and get it over with."

His skeleton was folded up and placed in a 'carrying case' that Hiro created. The rest of the team was ahead, just to create an incognito barricade. He felt like he was a high valued target for some reason.

He found himself pushed into a decently size room filled with different instruments and contraptions. Hiro plucked the exoskeleton from his lap and set it to one side. He turned his wheelchair to what looked like a pedal machine with a panel.

"This, is a FES bike. Sends electric signals up to your leg muscles to stimulate movement." Hiro covered. A look of approval came over him as he nodded. "Four times a week is good enough. You'll have a coach with you."

A coach? Tadashi arched his brow, since when did he get a coach? "Er – who?"

Gogo stepped into his view. She crossed her arms over her chest and popped her bubblegum. "Gogo is going to run me into the ground." He put his hands up in defense, "No offense."

"None taken." she rolled her eyes.

Hiro smirked, Gogo was the most athletic of all of them. Biking was also her thing, it wouldn't make sense to choose anyone else. "We needed someone who would be tough on you and motivational. Gogo also doesn't have any more classes, she's been training for her competition. You'll be fine."

"If you say so." Tadashi joked. After Hiro left everything to Gogo, they headed out for their classes.

"Alright, I'm warning you now, you'll be doing this for almost two hours straight." Gogo warned, pushing Tadashi to the bike. "Kill me now."

"Grow a pair."

"Thanks coach."

"You're welcome."

Tadashi sat on his wheelchair as he worked on the FES bike. It sent electric jolts to stimulate muscle movement. But for once, he was happy that his legs weren't relying on anything to walk. He pushed on as Gogo supervised him, making sure his back was straight and he wasn't overexerting.

Sweat dampened his hair and stained his grey shirt, but he welcomed it. Gogo could see the need in his eyes, the need to walk on his own again. She proudly smiled, knowing that her friend would someday achieve that goal one way or another.

"I think I'll go for another hour." Tadashi stated, Gogo simply nodded. She didn't want to hold him back, she would intervene when she knew that it may be too much. "Back straight Hamada."

Tadashi heeded like a soldier and made no protest. Afterwards, she would take him to two sets of bars parallel to his sides. He would attempt to hold himself up, while letting his legs try to support him.

Tadashi fell often, but he never accepted help to get up. He would grab the bars and try over and over. The methods changed or shifted, some seemed to make progress while others didn't. So Gogo and Tadashi worked to remake the exercise plans when needed.

This continued on up until the week of Christmas. There was progress, they could see it. Tadashi's attitude changed and he was less cynical about everything. His mood was usually more positive and light hearted. They slowly saw the qualities of his old self bloom from the cracks in his skin.

He couldn't walk much, but he could finally hold himself up. Baymax would usually be there, holding his hands like a child to make sure he didn't fall and hurt himself. "You are doing well and making progress." Baymax reassured.

"Thanks Baymax, how am I looking right now?" The nurse robot scanned him and tilted his head. "Your health has improved since the last checkup. Your neural levels have increased gradually and your muscles in your legs have begun to return."

Tadashi knew in order for him to really walk, his nerve cells needed to be repaired or replaced. The only way he could really do that was by surgery. Stem cell research had excelled tremendously over the years and replacing nerves was not a big deal. It was the money for it.

He would never ask for it, Tadashi already made his mind up that he would raise the money himself. In some shape or form. His legs collapsed and he found himself leaning on Baymax's arm. The robot carried the man bridal style and placed him on his chair. He thanked the robot and leaned back.

It was weird to think, but he was proud of Baymax. He wasn't proud that he originally created him, he was proud that Baymax became his own entity. "Have I ever told you how thankful I am?"

The robot blinked at him in confusion, "Thankful?"

"For you, buddy. I wanted to thank you for watching, caring, and protecting Hiro." he genuinely smiled.

"It is my job and my duty." Baymax replied. "I know. But you're more than a friend to him Baymax, you're his brother too."

"But I am not biologically related to you or Hiro. I have no DNA. I am just a robot."

Tadashi clasped his hands together and slightly bounced his shoulders. "Brothers don't have to be related Baymax. Family can be anyone and anything. It can be a dog and it can most certainly be you."

Baymax stayed silent for a moment, as if he was processing it. "I understand. I am glad I can be of a brother figure to Hiro." Tadashi raised his curled fist in front of him and watched as the robot gently bumped his own against his.

"Balalalalala." A laugh escaped his lips, he still couldn't get over Baymax's sound effect. Hiro had mentioned he wanted to substitute it for a real explosion sound, but he was afraid it might scare people. But he never wanted it changed anyway.

A bright flash caught the corner of his eye, almost blinding him. "You two are so cute together sometimes." It was Honey.

"Hey there." he winked jokingly. Honey pressed a kiss on his cheek and pocketed her phone. "Hiro told me to tell you he couldn't check on you, he has one last exam. But he wanted to tell me to tell you to keep up the good work. Also, Gogo is training too." Tadashi bobbed his head understandingly.

Honey sat at the bench in front of him and crossed her legs. Tadashi could tell she had something on her mind, her eyes usually would wander randomly with no pattern whatsoever. "We've been thinking. Me, Hiro, Wasabi, and the others about Christmas."

"Oh yeah?"

She tucked a lose strand of hair behind her ear and placed her hands onto her raised knee. "We usually meet up, all of us, at the Lucky Cat Café for the last few hours of Christmas."

The sweat on Tadashi's back began to turn as cold as ice, he could easily guess where it was going.

"Spend Christmas with us and your Aunt Cass." she blurted. Honey almost slapped her hand over her mouth after she said that. Tadashi looked unfazed, but his eyes betrayed him.

"Honey, I don't think I'm ready. Not like this. How would she feel if she saw me in a wheelchair?" he replied truthfully as he gestured to himself.

He's told her this multiple times and she wished she could break down that wall he built up for himself. Honey gently shook her shoulder, "She would come up to you and hug you. She wouldn't look at you any less than you were before, I'm sure she'll look at you with even more adoration."

Her green orbs met his in a plea, "She loves you Tadashi. She sees your heart before she sees your skin. Your aunt loves you like a mother. Why would she feel or think differently of her nephew, her son?"

She was right, he knew. But he was afraid, about what? He didn't know. Tadashi twiddled his thumbs, trying to think of an answer. A few weeks back, he most likely would of lashed back and flat out rejected the offer. But he considered it now.

"When's Christmas again?" he asked softly.

"About three days from now." That wasn't much time. His brown eyes met her green ones and he let lose a worn out sigh. "I'll join you guys for Christmas." he confirmed, his voice just above a whisper. She stood up and got down on her knees to hug him.

Tadashi returned it, he was excited, but scared. "She's going to be so happy, really she will. I can't wait to see her expression." He couldn't either, he knew that Hiro or Honey would try to capture it.

"I still have some exercises I have to do, want to help?" he offered. Honey clapped her hands together excitedly and happily agreed.

"Baymax want to be my trust buddy in case miss sunshine lets me fall?"

"Yes, I will be your trust buddy."

* * *

><p>When it comes to 'romantic' scenes, I'm no genius for it. I scrapped the thing a couple of times just because of that particular event. It didn't sound right a couple of times around. But I ended up settling with what I have now. I hope it didn't turn out too bad. Anyways, I hope you all have a good week.<p> 


	14. Precedent

Hey there, thank you for the uplifting reviews lately. They've been wonderful to read through, especially when you're burned out from testing! On another note, I have another story I'm planning out right now that has to deal with an AU I came up with. But anyway, that's for another time.

- D.R.

* * *

><p>"She's going to be so happy when she sees you." Hiro breathed. He's had a grin on his face for a long time now, it wasn't like he couldn't help it. Tadashi was sitting on Honey's couch, sipping a cup of tea she had brewed for him. In his hand was a book he had been meaning to read for a long time.<p>

"Yeah, I'm just scared." he mumbled against the lip of his cup.

Hiro leaned his elbow against his knees, "Why? It's Aunt Cass."

Tadashi shrugged, he's explained it multiple times he felt like a broken record. It seemed that the only way his fears would go away is if he actually saw his aunt. That wouldn't be till tomorrow.

"How's your workouts? Is Gogo pushing you?" Honey came back and placed a cup in front of Hiro. "Thanks Honey."

She smiled back and went back to the kitchen. "Gogo is giving me hell every day. But I'm not complaining. I've never felt this good in a long time."

Hiro pressed the cup to his lips and inhaled the aroma of the freshly brewed tea. "We almost have enough money for a possible spinal surgery."

Tadashi lowered his cup onto his plate and looked his brother in the eye, "Hiro, that's money is for your schooling. Don't worry about me, worry about graduating, bonehead."

The young Hamada's lips curled into a bitter smile, there was no protesting against his brother. He was always looking out for him, someday he would repay him back.

A relaxing silence befell the two, it was a lazy Wednesday afternoon for all of them. Classes had ended and it was officially the beginning of the holidays. Honey went to her room and closed the door to change and attend to her own business.

"So, are you and Honey a thing?" Tadashi's eyes and a brow left the page of his book to look at his brother. Hiro had a sharp flash of curiosity in his eyes, the type you would find on someone who gossiped.

"A _thing_?"

"Yeah, a thing. You know, an object, the real deal – "

"A couple." Tadashi finished. His younger brother had an odd word choice, that or he was just verbally out of date.

"Yeah, come on, answer my question." Hiro huffed, sipping his tea.

Tadashi rubbed the back of his neck precariously, "We're together, I think. I mean, we kissed – "

Hiro leaned forward, almost spilling his tea in the process. "You two kissed!?" he hissed under his breath.

"Shhh, shut it." Tadashi implored. It would be awkward if Honey walked in on their conversation. "Yes, we kissed."

"For how long?" Hiro asked quietly. "I'm not telling you, but anyway, after that we kind of fell asleep together.

Hiro smirked and leaned back again, he never thought his brother would even be remotely willing to enter a relationship after his attitude. "About time. Someone's got to keep tight grip on your collar."

Tadashi shook his head at his brother's joke and set his cup down after he finished. "Funny how things work out." he murmured, rubbing his chin.

"Don't break her heart." Hiro spoke. Tadashi's attention drew to his brother, he was surprised to hear that from him. Not that he thought Hiro didn't care, it was just odd that it was directed to him.

"I won't." It sounded as if there was an unspoken story that Hiro wasn't telling him, but he would rather not pry. It was the holidays after all. Honey's door opened and she came back out holding a sweater.

"Tadashi, I have something for you." she brightly sang. A small groan came from the older gentleman as she plopped down beside him. "Please don't tell me I'm going to wear that."

Honey pouted and stared at him with the most broken eyes he's ever seen in his life. "Come on T, can you say no to that?"

Another groan slipped from his lips as she pressed closer with her pouting expression. "This isn't even fair. This should be illegal."

After he put up a good fight, Tadashi complied, "You win, I give in." The blonde clapped her hands together and motioned him to raise his hands.

"Now?"

"Yes_ now_ mister." Tadashi's arms shot up into the air and he let Honey slip it over his head. He patted his hair down as she fixed the hem.

Hiro was on the other side chair trying hard not to laugh. Tadashi could tell the boy was on the verge of tears from holding back his emotion.

"Honey, what's this even for?" He looked down at the festive sweater, it wasn't that appealing to him. Then again, he remembered that 'ugly sweater' was a trending thing during the holidays.

"Christmas cheer, Mr. Scrooge." Honey took a picture of him twice, blinding the poor man. "Let me see." Hiro leaned over as Honey tilted her phone.

"That's the saddest elf I've seen in my life." Hiro joked. Tadashi waved him off and scratched his neck. "This thing is itchy." It did smell nice however, it smelled like Honey.

"I'll put it back." Tadashi shook his head, deciding he would keep it on to make her happy. "I'll wear it until I get to see Aunt Cass."

Hiro chuckled and set his finished cup of tea down. "Speaking of which, I have to head off now. Aunt Cass wants me to help her make Christmas dinner. I made a note and told her we have one more person coming. Never told her who though."

Tadashi closed his book and set it aside, he stood up and straightened the sweater. "Mystery man likes roasted potatoes."

"Noted." Hiro said, slipping his shoes on. Tadashi walked over and gave him a hug as soon as he had finished. "Aw you're so – egh dude you're so itchy get off!" Hiro struggled, feeling the fabric of the sweater rub his face and neck.

"Gotcha." Hiro pushed his brother away and fixed his hair. "Heathcliff has had monitors set up all around the city by the way, although there is a few dark spots that we can't cover."

"Call me if anything comes up." Hiro nodded as he slipped his jacket on.

Then he slung the backpack over his shoulder and scoffed. "Bye Honey, see you tonight nerd."

Tadashi put on a fake smile and waved, "Bye kiddo. Ride safe or I'm going to wrap you in bubble wrap if anything happens."

Hiro closed the door and went downstairs to get his moped. He wanted to be home before nightfall, it got incredibly cold during the night.

"Well, now what?" Tadashi plopped back down on the seat and stretched his legs. Honey put a finger to her lip and thought about it. "Oh! Want to help me make food for the gathering tomorrow? I always brought food to your Aunt Cass' during holiday get-togethers."

Tadashi sat up and patted her knee, "Alright miss, lead the way." She dragged the twenty one year old to the kitchen and immediately put him to work. Like before the fire, both of them had a synergy that no one else could match.

There was a question that pondered Honey's mind, especially after they kissed. She felt guilty, but she had eavesdropped on their conversation, catching Hiro's first question. She looked over her shoulder and saw the man hunched over the counter with a knife and the vegetables.

Now wasn't the time, she could ask him later too. She turned back to her work and continued to peel the cloves of garlic. But it was too quiet for her to bear, so she picked up the remote on the counter and turned the television on from afar. As usual, it was on the San Fransokyo News Network.

"San Fransokyo authorities have been on the lookout for a _rouge robot_. One civilian was a victim, as the hospital reported that the person has suffered some bruises and scratches. The robot was described as 'matte black with human features' and that it had 'piercing blue eyes with no pupils, just holes'. Please, if you see something with any of these, get to safety and contact the police immediately."

Honey had been so engrossed in the segment that she didn't realize that Tadashi had moved next to her to watch. She glanced up at him in the corner of her eye, studying his gaze that followed the screen.

"Mr. Van Buren, you believe that these robots are no harm?" The news segment had just entered a discussion upon whether they were progressing too fast in robotics. The fear of a technological uprising reared its ugly head in the talk.

"I do, in fact, I already I have the solution." Michael rubbed his chin and motioned to the screen to show the robotic enforcers his company had created.

"Fight fire with fire, Chet. Striker M5s can do twice as more work with more efficiency than traditional cops."

"Amazing piece of technology there Michael, and if there was an 'uprising', these could combat them?" The man pressed, he was definitely playing the part.

"Oh, not only combat it. But suppress it. These andriods are made to maintain order and peace. They _'know'_ how much force to use, they're more conscious than human cops about how to handle a suspect." A proud look adorned Michael Van Buren's face, he was quite the charm on camera.

If Tadashi could describe him one name, it would be 'grandpa'. He had a warm charisma that emanated from him like light. "Next up is a motorcycle maniac linked to the beating of a man in south San Fransokyo a few weeks. The man just woke up from his long sleep and provided details."

A picture of Tadashi in his costume was plastered on the screen. It made his blood run cold and his throat close up. Honey slipped her hand with his and gave it a gentle squeeze to loosen him up.

"This guy looks terrifying, would you say he has the possibility of being involved with that robot rampage earlier?" Jon Trahearne interjected.

The anchor Julia Gaves nodded as she fixed the papers in front of her, "Who knows Jon? It's left to speculation right now. But it seems like something this thing is capable of – "

The TV powered down, Tadashi's eyes landed on Honey's finger on the remote's power button. "That's enough news for now. We should focus too, I don't want you getting yourself cut."

Tadashi didn't protest, he would rather not see anymore of it either. He was being linked with the rogue Atlas clones, it disheartening to hear. The couple worked in silence, completing whatever task they assigned one another.

After they finished, Honey went to the oven and slipped in the dish. "What do you guys do at Aunt Cass'?" Honey ran her hand under the water with soap as she gathered her thoughts.

"We bring presents and tells stories, then eat food and just have a good time." she replied after wiping her hands on some soft washcloth. It was a vague answer, but Tadashi was very curious, he only watched over them certain times.

"There was this one Christmas where Aunt Cass bought Baymax a tie and a top hat." That earned her a light chuckle from the inventor, he wiped his hands on the washcloth.

"Really? How'd he look?" he leaned himself against her countertop and crossed his arms.

Honey brushed her hand through her hair, recalling how cute the robot was. He wore it almost anywhere, until Mochi made it the scratching post. "He was so adorable, you should of seen him." she sighed happily.

"Speaking of which, what am I going to wear to see Aunt Cass?" he asked. Honey was the best when it came to fashion advice, she always seemed to have something in mind. He didn't have the nicest clothes, he would admit that.

"Hm." She took her glasses off and pressed one of the open arms against her lips. Honey chewed on the end, thinking of something for Tadashi. "Well, we could always go shopping tomorrow before we take you to her."

Tadashi jokingly cringed when she said shopping, even now, he still didn't like to go shopping for clothes. "What about my – um this." he gestured to his head. Honey made a face and walked over to the man.

She put her hands on either side of his face and inspected him, "Everything looks great. Nothing's wrong with it." Tadashi stifled a laugh and put his hands over hers. "Thank you miss."

Tadashi's hair had begun to grow back on the side of his head, the scar that was showing had begun to disappear in it. Honey gently squeezed his cheeks together, making him look like a fish. A burst of laughter escaped her lips, it echoed through the apartment.

"Hey, you're so mean." he said, his voice distorted. Tadashi cupped her face in return and pressed a soft kiss on her lips. "Fish kiss." she beamed, pecking him back.

"And you call me a child." he scoffed, letting go of her. Honey slapped his stomach and went to go tend to the oven. She put on some oven mits and carefully pulled the dish out. "Need help?"

"I got it." she quickly dismissed. Honey then wrapped it up and stored it, she then grabbed a cloth and handed it to Tadashi. "Okay mister, you can clean for tonight." she commanded innocently.

"Yes ma'am." he saluted. She patted his shoulder and went to go shower. The day wrapped up fairly quickly for both of them, soon they were in bed before they even realized it.

Tadashi didn't sleep in his guest room anymore, instead he had become Honey's personal heat blanket. They didn't think much of it. Being in each other's company was good enough.

The inventor was sitting up with his back against her headboard, he had the blanket around his waist and the book he had earlier was in his hands. The blonde rolled atop his legs and scooched herself up between her boyfriend and the book.

Tadashi didn't say anything, he simply rested his head atop of Honey's as she slumped atop of him. He then went returned to reading his book. "Done?" he asked after a minute or so.

"Done." she stated. Then he turned the page of the book. They fell asleep after they no longer found the piece of literature attention worthy. Needless to say, Honey did have one problem with Tadashi sleeping with her. He would either take the blankets, roll on top of her, or almost push her off.

Honey was woken up by the greeting of the carpet floor. She groaned groggily, wanting to kick the man off the bed. She rubbed her face and stood up slowly. There was Tadashi, sprawled across her bedsheets. _'He forgot to take his support off.'_

Her blanket ended up tangled in his chaotic movement all at the same time. "Unbelievable." She rolled her eyes and tugged at the blanket underneath him. With one swift and strong pull, Tadashi rolled off to the other side of the bed.

A soft "oof" and a groan soon followed after. A mess of black hair and groggy eyes poked up from the other side to meet Honey's. "W-wha… why'd you push me off?"

"Because you pushed me off." she frowned at the tired man and began folding her sheets. "Besides, it's time to get up."

Tadashi sighed and scratched the back of his neck, then he slowly crawled back on top of the bed. "Tadashi! Get off, now." Honey glared. The twenty one year old gave her a drunken smile and hugged her pillows close to his face. "Make me."

Honey reached over and tried to push the man off the bed with all the strength she had. "Come on, put more back into it, private." he called. Tadashi reached over and slipped his arm around her waist, she found herself in a tight hug.

"Tadashi I hurt you I swear." she threatened. However it was all in good fun, it was hard to be stern around such a guy. Tadashi finally let her go and he slipped off her bed. His source of happiness was the fact that it was Christmas.

He had spent his last three Christmases alone, mostly attending the parade and watching the annual lighting of the cherry blossom trees. It was nice for once that he could at least spend it with someone he cherished.

"Go, now. Get ready. I have to take you out to get clothes." She impishly pushed him out of her room, but before he reached the entrance, he turned around to face her.

"Hey."

"What?" Honey whined. Tadashi kissed her upon the lips and mumbled a short 'merry Christmas' to her. Then he turned around and ushered himself out, leaving Honey with a goofy look on her face.

* * *

><p>"Oh dear." he grumbled. He was wearing a simple gray field jacket with a white V-neck. "You were being cheap. And I tried to drag you to the Christmas sweaters, you drama queen." Honey retorted, fixing his coat.<p>

"Only for you, my love." The blonde scoffed as she rolled her eyes. She buttoned his coat up for the meantime, knowing he might catch a cold by the end of the day.

The man bent his head low or would stand in a position where Honey blocked his head. Tadashi didn't like showing his scarred face in public, it made him uncomfortable. But they were in a fairly empty park, standing on the side of the path.

Blooming cherry blossom trees lined the sidewalk like columns. They were adorned with varying Christmas lights, as well as pieces of paper. It seemed everyone was either at home or enjoying the San Fransokyo Christmas Parade downtown.

She then began fixing his hair, parting it from all directions. It was hard to choose, Tadashi's hair was oddly great at any angle. Then again, her friend was quite photogenic.

As they stood there, snow danced around them and gathered at their feet. It was a gentle snow fall with a slight bite at the nose. It had begun snowing a week ago, but it seemed to be gradually increasing over the days. Tadashi filled his lungs with the cold wind and then exhaled to form a cloud in front of his face.

He actually liked it more than he thought he would. Tadashi guessed earlier that it would be freezing to the point where he would be miserable, but it didn't even bother him the slightest.

"Aren't you cold? This jacket isn't even that thick." she wondered. Tadashi rubbed his nose with his black gloves. "Not really. I survived pretty well throughout the winter days in the warehouse."

Honey almost forgot that he lived in a warehouse for almost over a year now. He most likely developed some sort of immunity to the extremes of San Fransokyo. She was amazed and a bit saddened at the same time, he was spending time alone.

A small smile crossed her face as she fixed him up. His exoskeleton fit in quite nicely with his slightly loose jeans, Hiro had made them as unnoticeable as he could. It contoured his legs, so it didn't look bulky or were just pipes stuck to one another.

"Aren't you going to visit your folks?" Tadashi asked curiously. Honey glanced at him but returned to fixing him up. "I might. It depends."

Tadashi blinked, he'd never heard her tone of voice shift so quickly. He was afraid to ask if they passed away or some of the sort. "Is, everything okay with you and your folks? If you don't mind me asking."

Honey finished her work and stepped back, she flashed a small proud smile. Then it slowly slipped away back into a reminiscent expression. "I've been out of touch with them for a few months now. Things happened." she replied.

He left it at that and nodded. Tadashi gently pulled her into a hug and pressed a kiss on her forehead, "I'll be here if you ever need to talk to me, okay?"

Honey returned the hug and slowly bobbed her head. She pulled away and looked at her phone to check the time. "Want to get something to drink?" Tadashi agreed and slipped his hands with her.

"I think I may visit my parents. I'll get them some festive coffee, maybe?" Honey pondered.

"Festive coffee?" he smirked. She gently pushed his shoulder and slipped her hand away from his. "Yep! Race you there slowpoke!" Honey ran ahead, leaving Tadashi huffing from the cold.

"Hey! Don't run, you might slip!" he warned with a frown on his face. As the two chased one another, sirens wailed past them before it disappeared into the distance.

* * *

><p>The Lucky Cat Café was bustling with customers, it's famous for their special holiday eggnog. It had that blend of west meets east, something a lot of the city goers could enjoy. Hiro was no different, he'd ask Aunt Cass for a cup as much as he could.<p>

Of course Baymax would lecture him about keeping a good diet and making sure he didn't drink it too much.

"Hiro, honey, we need more straws!" Cass called in the back. Hiro wiped his hands on his apron and grabbed some straws on the way out. "Here you go!" he called, leaving them on the table.

Hiro ran back into the kitchen and went back to work on the rest of the pasteries. Baymax was usually kneading the dough or making more on the side.

"Cass, he's grown so tall already." one of the regular customers told Cass. The aunt smiled sadly and nodded, "He has. He's not the small boy behind the counter anymore."

Cass left the man to his food and bustled back to the other side of the café to take their order. In the kitchen, Hiro and Baymax fooled around while they worked.

"Hey Baymax! Merry Christmas!" The robot swiveled his head, just in time to catch the flour in his lens. "Hiro, that is not for play. Aunt Cass will be upset." the robot remarked.

Hiro snickered as he folded the dough in his hands, "Yeah I know, I know. After this, want to go out in the snow?" The robot slowly bobbed his head as he worked. Hiro set his dough down and went to wash his hands.

"Hiro?"

"Yeah, bud?"

"There is still flour on my lens. Can you please remove it?" Hiro stifled his laughter and leaned up to wipe the flour off his lens.

Aunt Cass came in and placed her hands on her hips. "I thought I heard you two fooling around."

"It was Hiro who was fooling about." Baymax confessed. Hiro shot the robot a glare and then received an expected glance from Cass. The aunt grabbed a towel and wiped the flour off Baymax's torso.

"I'm sure it was, he's always trying to get you into trouble." she added. Hiro gaped at her, gesturing wildly to Baymax. The robot gently patted Hiro's head and then turned back to his work.

Aunt Cass put her hand on Hiro's shoulders, "I need you to make more doughnuts. We just ran out. Can you do that for me?"

Hiro saluted his aunt and sternly exclaimed, "Yes ma'am!" A laugh escaped his Aunt's lips and leaned over to kiss his cheek.

"Good now get to work soldier." Cass left the boys to work and went to watch the front. Hiro loved to make his aunt laugh, she deserved a lot more of it. He knew she would sometimes fall back into thinking about Tadashi. It was like a mother losing a child.

He would take any chance he could to get a laugh from her, people always said it was the best medicine anyway. They worked continuously throughout the hour. Both of the boys were incredibly diligent when it came to working at the café. He pulled out his phone from his pocket after he felt it vibrate.

'_BREAKING NEWS: Two Androids Attack Bystanders at San Fransokyo Christmas Parade'_

"Baymax, we need to go now." Hiro quickly said as he pocketed his phone. "But Hiro – "

"More of Atlas is at the parade." The robot quickly sealed the dough as Hiro did the same. He tugged the robot along and ran into Aunt Cass right as she was at the door. "Hiro where are you – "

"Aunt Cass we need to go, there's been an attack at the parade." he whispered, gesturing to the TV. The TV in the main area was already broadcasting the event. A few gasps echoed through the café as people watched.

Some dialed their loved ones at the parade to ask if they were okay. The aunt quickly closed her mouth and nodded. "Be careful."

"Always." he kissed her cheek and ran off with Baymax in tow. The two heroes suited up quickly and escaped from the back.

"What will we do when we arrive?" Baymax questioned. Hiro had called the rest of the team, it seemed that Wasabi, Gogo, and Fred were already there. Honey on the other hand was with Tadashi.

"We destroy the robots. We make sure that none of the civilians get hurt." he said. Baymax nodded as he faced his head forward and increased his thrusters.

The duo flew over the scene, trying to locate the robots, but it was pure chaos. People were running everywhere and the police couldn't control the mass hysteria. "I have seen the robots and marked them."

Hiro allowed his visor to link with Baymax's vision and see the marked targets. "Let's head in." They flew down and landed in the middle of the square. One of the Atlases that overturned a vehicle turned around as soon as the two landed.

It ran right as them with an inhuman speed and lunged right for Hiro. Baymax's arm was already ready as he launched a rocket fist right at the machine's chest. The robot fell back a few feet and realigned its head. By that time, Baymax was already flying towards it in order to try and pin it down.

It grabbed one of the manhole covers and launched it at Baymax. The object slammed right into Baymax and forced him to grab the ground for stability.

A yellow disc ricocheted and hit the robot right in the shoulder as it was getting ready to move. "About time you two got here!" Gogo shouted. Wasabi jumped over her as she got her disc back and extended his plasma blade.

"You guys take care of this one, we're going to help Fred!" Baymax and Hiro flew over to the other robot that Fred was occupying. His super jump had been quite handy while he kept the robot distracted.

Fred was careful about where and what he set fire to, there were still civilians around. He grabbed one of the fallen signs and twirled it just in time to shield the robot's punch.

The robot then caught one of Fred's arms and threw him across the way. "Whoa!"

Fortunately, Baymax caught the man in time and set him down as he flew. "You guys pin him down, and I'll do the rest."

Hiro and Baymax were already on it as they began a face-off with the clone. Hiro separated from his companion for the mean time to make the robot choose who to go after. It chose Baymax.

As soon as the clone lunged at Baymax, the robotic hero's hand grabbed it by the torso and slammed it on the ground.

Its sheer strength pushed Baymax off and contorted its body to where it was upright again. But its face met with the back of Hiro's foot as he did a full degree back kick.

Then Fred landed behind him and unleashed hellfire from the mouth of the suit. The heat of the fire melted the arm off the clone. It whipped around and used its remaining arm to slam it into Fred.

Hiro quickly ran alongside Baymax to catch up to him, then he grabbed onto his friend and mounted himself back up.

Baymax hit the thrusters and grabbed the clone by the face just as it was turning away from Fred. Then he shoved its head against the asphalt as he flew forward, practically ripping it to pieces.

Gogo was skating circles around the other robot to confuse it until Wasabi had enough time to jump in. He leaped over her as she passed him and entered her circle with blades drawn. He brought it down through his head and cut it in half.

The clone collapsed into two separate pieces and ceased to move.

"These things are terrifying." the green hero breathed. Gogo stopped once the fight ended and relaxed to catch her breath. "I think I pulled something doing those circles."

Fred leaped beside them and Baymax followed suit. "Was this all of them?" Hiro quickly interrupted.

"That was all of them when we arrived here." Wasabi commented. The bystanders who were cleared from the scene cheered the group of heroes from the side. It was the usual response, but Hiro would usually wave and leave with Baymax.

"Let's clear the scene. There's too much people here." Hiro spoke in his comm. The others complied and all broke off from one another.

Fred and Wasabi hitched a ride on Baymax while Gogo zoomed off. Uncertainty nipped at Hiro's heels, the attacks were becoming all too frequent now.

One bot at the warehouse, another on a bystander, now two at the parade. Hiro dropped the two at their homes and went back to his own. The drive to find the robots was now fueled, he felt responsible for it. He made Atlas and San Fransokyo is his home.

Hiro came back to the café and found that a lot of the customers were still there. He came in from the other door so that he wouldn't be noticed with Baymax. Once they slipped back into the kitchen, Hiro breathed a soft sigh as he heard the news reporter's voice coming in from the front.

Cass came in with a worried expression, she of course was watching the coverage. "Was that Atlas?" she asked him curiously. She had recognized right away, Hiro would show him to her when he had the chance.

Hiro bit the bottom of his lip. "It was. He got stolen when the lab was raided weeks ago. Now someone is making more of him with a deadly programming." That was the surface of it, but it stemmed deeper. Hiro didn't want to worry his aunt.

A worried look shadowed Cass's face, "Is there more of them?"

Hiro slowly nodded but he put gestured to Baymax, "Don't worry though, we're working on finding them."

Cass knew how much Atlas meant to Hiro. He had been following Tadashi's footsteps in making his own invention. Atlas was special, he made him almost just like Baymax, a robot that could obtain a 'human-like personality'.

She gave him a short hug, glad that he was without injury. She would do it every time he came back from something. She was afraid that there would be a day where she didn't show him how much she loved him and she would regret it.

Then Cass pulled away to see her smiling college kid. "You did good." she reassured. Hiro nodded and watched her leave the kitchen.

"We're having a special guest come over today Baymax?" Hiro beamed brightly.

"Is it Tadashi?" Baymax inquired, slowly looking over at his friend. Hiro's brows knitted in confusion, "How'd you know?"

He hadn't told Baymax about Tadashi agreeing to come for Christmas. Unless he actually did, maybe he was just forgetting now. "Your facial expression told me so."

Hiro blinked, he looked at himself in a reflection of one of the kitchen utensils. His expression would light up at the mention of his brother, as any younger brother would.

"I guess you're right."

* * *

><p>Honey and Tadashi were amongst the crowd who was watching the fight happen. Honey couldn't run back and change, she would be too late for the fight. But she watched with a concentrated look, afraid that her friends could get hurt.<p>

"That kick he did is impressive." Tadashi breathed. He remembered the move vividly, he praised Hiro for having good form and execution. "Where'd he learn that?"

Honey rubbed her hands together as she watched the police surround the dead bots and close the scene up. "He told us that he was teaching himself self defense. Because Baymax wouldn't be there always." she replied, making sure only he could hear what she said.

They left the scene shortly after the police began moving people out of the way. The riot team had arrived late due to the massive amount of people to move by. It only proved Michael Van Buren's point more clearly.

"It's almost time to go to the party." Honey reminded him. Tadashi rubbed his pink tinged nose and wrinkled it. It made his blood run cold when she mentioned it, it was worse since it was cold enough where he was.

"Can we drive back to your apartment? I want to pick something up."

"Yeah, let's go." Honey took him back to her apartment and waited in her car. She saw Tadashi come out with his wheelchair and bring it over. But why? His exoskeleton was moved to the outside of his pants, visible for anyone to see.

She let him open the truck and put it inside carefully. He slipped into the front and shut his door. "Why bring the wheelchair?" she observed.

He pulled the seatbelt over his shoulders and clicked it in. "If I'm going to see Aunt Cass, I want her to see the real me. Then I'll show her the exoskeleton. I just didn't want to lie to her about my condition, it might just break her heart if she learns later on."

Honey didn't ask any more questions, it sounded much more considerate to her. Deliver the problem and show the solution rather than the other way around. Tadashi's hands were curled into the folds of his jeans the whole time.

He getting more and more nervous as the streets became more familiar to him. It was the same streets he would go down to get to SFIT. It was like taking a walk in a very distant memory. The cherry blossoms where still in full bloom, it made for a pretty sight.

Tadashi felt the car come to a stop and just like that, so did his breathing. Honey was aware of how uncomfortable he was, so she took his hands and squeezed it. "You'll be fine."

Tadashi closed his eyes and nodded, then he stepped out of the car and into the snow covered street front of the Lucky Cat Café. He went to the back and took out his wheelchair. Tadashi plopped himself down and slowly took the exoskeleton off his legs. He put them in the case and sighed.

In the café, Hiro got a text from Honey about them arriving. A smile lit up on his face and he quickly pocketed the phone. "Aunt Cass! I have a visitor for you."

"Hiro one second, I'm telling your friends the time when you – "

Hiro took her hand and gently tugged her like an overgrown child, "Come on please?" The older woman rolled her eyes, it was impossible to ignore her nephew's puppy dog eyes.

She followed him and had her stand just a few feet from the door. "Um, okay?" she began.

Her eyes then caught sight of two figures, she could make out Honey but the other figure was a mystery. It wasn't lighted enough for her to make out the face. But she could see the wheelchair that treaded the sidewalk.

A _'ring'_ resounded through the café as the person in the wheelchair pushed the door open. Her eyes studied him for a second, then her expression fell flat. Was it really him? Her eyes trailed the burns that stretched on the right side of his face, to the distinct facial structure.

Then finally, her eyes connected with his. It was that moment in her heart that she knew immediately.

He was home.

* * *

><p>Normally, it doesn't snow in San Francisco, but I switched it up when I considered that it was a 'hybrid city'. It was just an add on that I thought would be a nice touch, snow and cherry blossoms from Japan. Also this probably seems like a filler chapter or something, it slightly is and is not, I won't say much about the incident but that's not the last one. Tadashi's reunion with Aunt Cass will be the focus of the next chapter, I just wanted to squeeze in something important before I got to that part. Anyway, good luck with finals if you still have them. (*whispers* because I do and I dont know why)<p> 


	15. Here

Hi, before I forget, I have a reference picture for one of the parts in this chapter. I linked it in my profile, since you can't copy from here. Its labeled beside the bullet point "Time". Anyway, here's the chapter. As always, if you have any questions you want answered, feel free to message me here or even on Tumblr. I'm always open to answering any confusion.

* * *

><p>Tadashi was frozen, not from the bitter cold outside, but from the look Aunt Cass had in her eyes. It looked like she had just dropped her heart and broken it again. She slowly stepped closer with outstretched hands.<p>

He was afraid that she might fall forward and he had the urge to catch her. His hands were gripping the handles on his wheels in anticipation. '_Say something. Anything._' Who was he talking to? Himself or her?

"Is it really you?" she faltered. Her tone was soft, but underneath stirred a raging sea of emotions. When she finally reached him, she kneeled down and cupped his face. He couldn't say anything, his mouth was dry and his body inert.

His arms wrapped around the older woman and pulled her into a hug. It was all he could do to ease her doubt, he was real. He was real from his scarred skin to his fractured bones. It wasn't long until her body slumped against his in a heap of shakes. It had been the first time he saw her really cry, Tadashi always saw his aunt as a strong woman. She always has been from the start.

When their parents passed away, she was there for them to lean on. She sat in their rooms and chased away monsters under their beds and the shadows creeping in the corner. She taught them diligence and discipline, but showed them love and sympathy. She had been there for Hiro when Tadashi departed from their lives. Now he was here for her.

"I'm home." he whispered, holding his aunt close. His voice was no better, it sounded like the rumbling of hushed thunder. It had been the sentence he's been dying to say ever since he survived that night.

They were two words sat in his heart, collecting cobwebs of memories and dusts of his empty promises. He told himself he would be home one day. Here was that day.

This time he said it to himself. "I'm here." The last fragment of his heart laid in the present, in the gentle warmth of his family's love and the laughter of their joy.

Finally the café was filled with her cries. It pierced his heart because he knew how much she endured. They didn't need to say anything to one another, not right now.

Time seemed to take pity on them and slow down for once. He kept a strong and gentle hold around his aunt, softly trying to calm her now soft sobs. After all these years she felt her like the guilt and grief was finally lifted off her shoulders. Slowly but surely, her crying diminished to short inhales and left water marks upon his jacket.

Cass cupped his face again and sniffled. "My baby boy is home." she said to him. Tadashi slowly nodded as the small drops of water slid down his cheek. She closed her eyes and let out a rattled laugh.

A smile then adorned her face after she opened her brown eyes. "You changed so much, look at you." she amusingly choked. Cass was still trying to swallow the lump in her throat that distorted her voice, it would be a while. It was difficult to not be emotional after thinking the boy you helped raised had been long gone, but here he was. Tadashi nodded and bit the side of his lip.

Cass gently ran her fingers on the blemishes upon his face then she leaned in and kissed his forehead. She see right through him and what he was worried about, that he was uncomfortable with his burns. "But your heart is the same. That's all that matters."

She ran a thumb gently across his brow, as if she was still trying to take in the reality. He was here, this was now, and the past no longer lingered. Her motherly voice chimed, "Welcome home Tadashi."

His mind cleared when she spoke his name, it was like a sudden ray on a cloudy day. The twenty one year old rubbed the tears that sprang from his eyes and rubbed his nose. A lump formed in his throat after she welcomed him back. To hear it from the woman who raised them squeezed his heart. It hurt at first, but the pain went away.

He greeted this new feeling of completeness like a new day. Time could be cruel, he knew it best, it took away his three years to reunite with his family. Although he knew time could be generous sometimes. He had a chance to recover what he had lost, starting today.

There were so many questions in Cass' mind, but she didn't want to spoil the night. It was Christmas after all.

"Let's go eat first, okay? Can we talk afterwards?" she questioned, gingerly wiping her eyes. Tadashi bobbed his head slowly and watched her push him to one of the tables. His Aunt Cass then breathed out heavily and ran a hand through her hair.

He couldn't help but smile, it was amusing. His aunt was incredibly objective, able to switch gears so quickly. She went to the kitchen to get the dishes as Baymax followed after her to help. Hiro was giving him a thumbs up and a sheepish grin. "Okay, you six, stuff yourselves up." Cass beamed.

His aunt then lifted one of his arms and checked it over, she also then carefully turned her head. Tadashi watched her grab a plate and immediately fill it with a little bit of everything. Then she placed it in front of him and put her hands on her hips. "Tadashi you better eat all of that, I can tell you lost a lot of weight." she nagged. It hasn't been long since he arried and she was already scolding him.

"What? No I didn't." he frowned. A noise escaped his brother as he swallowed his food, "You actually did. I can tell big bro. You probably lost about fifteen percent of your mass."

Cass raised her brow at him and stared the man down. Tadashi felt her look pierce through his head. So he smiled nervously and turned to his plate in defeat. "Good." she hummed.

Throughout dinner, she sat next to Tadashi and Hiro sat on his other side. He and his brother exchanged glances, as if they were silently communicating to one another. Aunt Cass then excitedly began handing out gifts to everyone. On the flip side, everyone had gifts for everyone else too. Tadashi was surprised when he received one from each of the others.

"Honey, if I knew you were coming I would of gotten you something." Cass apologized with a dejected look on her face. Tadashi shook his head and patted her arm, "It's nothing Aunt Cass, I don't need a present. Being at home is enough."

The brown haired woman made a small annoyed noise and pulled the man into her arms. "I know but still."

Hiro excused himself and went up to his room to grab something. He came back down with a box that was for Tadashi. He had wrapped it up earlier in the week. "Hey hey, I got your last present T." Hiro beamed.

"Oh? The exoskeleton was enough." Tadashi said, carefully setting his utensils down.

"Yeah but I figured, what the heck. You know?" He handed the box to Tadashi and watched him open it. Hiro watched his brother's brows spring up in surprise as he pulled out his old baseball hat.

"You kept it after all this time?" he chuckled as he looked it over.

"Of course, why wouldn't I?"

The fabric was worn from constant use, the black was a bit faded from the sun's rays. The logo was also a tad bit faded, the yellow and orange was a kind of dull. He read the tag that stuck out from the inside, '_Tadashi H._' He always did have good handwriting.

Tadashi placed it over his head and grinned, everything felt right. "Looks good on you." his brother joked.

"Where's the one I gave you?" That had been a good question. Hiro felt a cold sweat for in the back of his neck, recalling the last place he had it. He had forgotten it at one of the factories they had shut down. "Erm – I lost it?"

"You break my heart, little brother."

Hiro made a fussy noise, already feeling the guilt set on. "I'll get it back, I promise." Maybe, probably not. Going back to the factory was not the best idea.

The heavy atmosphere was lifted throughout the night, everything went on as if nothing happened.

Tadashi watched from the sidelines, he would interject every now and then or react to anything the others have said. One by one, each of them filtered out of the café to head home. Honey was the last one there, she usually was too.

She would always stop by to talk with Cass on almost a daily basis. When it was her turn to go, she gave Tadashi's hand a gentle squeeze as she said goodbye. "Drive safe, okay?" Tadashi cautioned. Honey nodded and parted ways.

Cass met eyes with Hiro with a questioning look on her face. The teenager grinned innocently, he knew she was curious if Tadashi had something going on.

"I'm going to clean up, you boys can just chatter." Tadashi frowned and picked up his plates as well as some other wares. "We'll help you Aunt Cass." he offered.

"Yeah, just relax for once, okay?" Hiro implored. The guardian let out an exhausted sigh and nodded. The whole day was so overwhelming, the busy customers, getting ready for the party, and now Tadashi was home.

Tadashi rolled himself to the kitchen with the plates and utensils on his lap. He raised his wheelchair so he could actually fully reach the sink. "So, how's it feel?"

The older Hamada glanced at the boy, "To be home?" Hiro simply bobbed his head as he sponged the plates.

"It feels amazing. So much memories in my mind. Still smells like how it was too." Tadashi breathed.

Tadashi missed the days where he would have his brother stand on a stool just to reach the sink. The customers would be so amused by the black mass of hair sticking out and moving around the back of the counter.

Aunt Cass came into the kitchen with some more dishes, which she placed next to the two of them. She wiped her hands and leaned on her elbows to watch the two work.

"Aunt Cass you're being weird." Hiro joked. The brown haired woman let out a soft chuckle.

"I'm just so glad to have both of you back. I just remember you two would stand here and play with the soap all day. Then I would come in and have a fit." Tadashi nudged Hiro, the younger one always started the soap wars.

"Yeah, we're all here, huh?" Tadashi chuckled, washing the dishes that Hiro sponged the plates.

Cass kissed the top of Tadashi's raven hair, "But you have some explaining to do young man." After they cleaned everything up, Tadashi sat Aunt Cass down. He explained everything that happened to him and how he got to where he was.

She listened intently she was watching one of her TV shows. When he finally finished, he took a deep breath to catch himself. He had ran through his story multiple times, it was hard not to get winded after wanting to rush through it.

Her hand reached out and touched the wheelchair, "So, it's permanent?" Tadashi nodded slowly, he fixed the cap on his head and released his shoulders. "For now."

Hiro stepped in, "But don't worry, I made him an exoskeleton to help him walk. Want to see it work?"

Cass eagerly nodded and watched Tadashi hook it up to himself. He had to take his coat off so he could have Hiro attach the spinal receptor. Once everything was in place, Tadashi then stood up for her to see.

She put a hand to her mouth and finally saw his real height. She stood up and wrapped her nephews in an embrace. "I'm so glad you helped your brother." She pulled back and looked at both of them, their height was almost the same.

"My gosh, you two look like the opposites of one another." she mumbled. It was true, the brother did share some similarities, but Hiro still had distinct characteristics. He had piercings, a slightly longer haircut, that same gap in his teeth, and a wild look in his eyes. Tadashi had no piercings, had short hair, no gap, and always had a look of serenity in his eyes.

Cass looked at the time and noticed it was midnight. "Who else knows that you're alive?"

"No one but you, Hiro, and the others." Tadashi answered. She knew that it would be the top of the headline when Tadashi would be declared alive. He had a building at SFIT in his name after all.

"When do you plan on – you know, declaring you're alive?" Tadashi didn't even know if he wanted to at this point. He had plans to go back into SFIT and finish what he started, but he was caught up with the current situation.

"I'm not entirely sure." he rubbed the back of his head and shrugged. "I haven't felt like I should yet."

Cass nodded understandingly, it was hard to just come out of hiding and declare that you were alive. She didn't want to push him, he seemed so fragile to her for some odd reason. He looked like he would break at any moment.

"Where are you staying now?"

"I'm living with Honey." he replied shyly. Cass had a look of approval cross her face, then she smirked, "About time."

"I know right? That's what I said." Hiro interjected. It earned him an elbow jab from his sibling.

"I hope you don't think I didn't want to see you again. I just didn't know how to approach you and I was scared."

Cass's brows knitted together, "Scared?"

The tall man fidgeted with his fingers. "I don't know. Of you not recognizing me is one. It's these – "

Cass reached up and gently placed her hands on his cheeks. "Tadashi Hamada. Listen to me. I will never, ever reject you from here in any way. Those scars don't affect how I see you. It's your heart. And I know you're still the big softie you were three years go. I will always accept you. Understood?" she said sternly. He swore she could pass up as a drill sergeant any day.

Tadashi stifled a laugh from her last comment and nodded, "I understand."

The brunette beamed and pulled her hands away. "So, when are you going back to Honey's apartment?"

As much as he wanted to stay here, he couldn't simply just go back home now. He was still dead. His picture was also on the wall in the café, so he could be recognized so easily. The neighborhood was sure to recognize him too. "I'm not sure. I'll stay for a couple of days, for as much as I can."

Cass took his hand and pulled him along, "Alright then, your room is upstairs, it hasn't changed in a bit." They had kept his room tidy, cleaning it every now and then. A light 'meow' resounded as Mochi bounced down the stairs to meet Tadashi.

"Oh my god he's still alive."

Hiro made a face, "What? You thought he died?"

"Well I mean, he's eaten so much mochi. I thought it would eventually catch up to him." He picked up the cat and hugged him gently. It continued to make noises and push up to his face.

"He's been dying to see you. I had him stuck upstairs." Aunt Cass huffed. Baymax soon came into view, or whatever was left of him.

"Geez, what happened to Baymax?" Tadashi hissed.

The poor robot looked like a deflated stick figure, all that was left was his exoskeleton and head "Mochi, really?" Cass groaned, grabbing the cat from Tadashi's hold. She began scolding him and let him loose somewhere else.

"I am fine. I have lost a small amount of air however." Baymax reassured. "Pretty sure you've lost everything." Hiro pointed out, checking him over.

"Let's get you to your station. I need to patch these holes too." He helped Baymax up the stairs to their room and had him step into his charger. As soon as Hiro was out of earshot, Cass turned to Tadashi quickly.

"You're not getting into bad business anymore, are you?" Cass asked curiously. She knew he was involved with the Inigawas, she was worried he was still involved.

He had to lie. He wasn't willing to let his aunt get sucked into it too. "Of course, I'm not involved in that bad stuff." That earned him a smile from his aunt.

Then her expression fell and she put a hand on her hip, "But you have to get rid of that small beard Tadashi. Come on."

'_Get rid of it?'_ Tadashi whined and touched his face, "But it takes forever for me to grow facial hair Aunt Cass."

"It's going to grow back you baby. Honey must be itching every time she smooches you." Tadashi crossed his arms over his chest.

"She hasn't complained so far." he mumbled. Cass pointed towards the bathroom with a look that would make no person question her further.

"Okay okay, I'm going." he groaned. He could hear Hiro laughing in the background, of course he would be. After Tadashi shaved, he looked at himself in the mirror and inspected himself from side to side.

His face now felt cold and somewhat naked, though he could get used to it again.

"There, you look better." Cass commented. Tadashi grumbled to himself like a child until Cass gently swatted his arm. "You need to head to bed." she shooed.

"Tuck me in Aunt Cass." he told her as she ushered him up the stairs. He almost hit his head on the roof as he got up. She rolled her eyes, "Sure once you actually get in the bed I will."

They were right, nothing changed. He looked around for a moment, touching everything in his room. Cass studied him as he did, knowing that he was recalling memories about his room.

She noted how his eyes lighted up at the sight of certain objects. His eyes glued on one of the photos, of him with Aunt Cass and Hiro.

Those were the simpler times, it had always been his favorite photo of them.

After looking over the photos, he plopped down onto the bed and sighed heavily. "You're not going to change into pajamas?" his aunt wondered.

"I don't think any of them fit me anymore." Cass left it at that and leaned over to press a kiss on his forehead. A wave of nostalgia hit him, she did that all too often when they were kids. He was twenty one years old but he didn't mind it for old time's sake.

"Goodnight you two." she called as she flipped the switch.

"Night mom."

"Night mom."

Mom. It was something she never thought she would hear from them. Sure she was their legal guardian and practically only relative, but she never imagined she would be considered their mother. She was always called their aunt, to have it direct to her was a whole different feeling. She put her hand to her chest and walked down the stairs. Cass was so happy, she didn't want to cry again but it just tugged at her heart.

All those years of parenting was worth it for her, it always has been. The door gently closed with a _'click'_.

Tadashi was slipping into a deep sleep until he heard the tapping of someone's fingers on a keyboard. "Really Hiro?" he griped quietly. He thought the teenager's late night web surfing would have been quelled by now. "I'm checking the monitors I swear."

That made Tadashi slip out of bed and quietly tip toe over to his brother's computer. He squinted his eyes through the dark and watched each of the monitors. "Where are these?"

"This one is at Crowne Plaza. This is at Harper Avenue I think. This one is at the corner of Akaido and Motonari. This last one says Masetora, but I'm not entirely sure." Hiro flipped through all the cameras, each of the equipped to detect Atlas clones.

"There was a reading on one of the cameras Heathcliff was watching, it was at the Yoshima Mueseum of Cinematography. What was odd was that the target was heading away from the city, after that we just lost the reading."

Tadashi followed along as his brother caught him up with the situation. He took mental notes about the weird occurrences happening around the city. It all had to do with Atlas. Not only that, Hiro mentioned odd disturbances in different frequencies.

Hiro then stood up and pulled him over to a large board on wheels. "Okay, I wanted to show you this since I was brainstorming a new suit for you. We need to get you a different look now, I'm sure you're aware of it."

Tadashi watched his brother flip it over to reveal different blueprints, some had to do with his new suit and others was weaponry. "White?" Tadashi inquired, noting that his suit would be white or a tint of light gray.

"Yeah. Black looks good and all, but I figured white could be a better choice."

"How so?" he asked curiously.

"Well the black is kind of, well frightening maybe to someone you're trying to save." Hiro pointed out. It was true, Tadashi would agree to it. He studied the drawings closely, taking note of every detail. "I got it from an inspiration that had to do with samurais from the Edo period."

The color scheme was a pure white with bright red to compliment it. He would have a black face mask to cover half of his face and a white hood over his head to conceal his identity.

The arms had protection that looked like kote and his legs were fitted with suneate greaves that didn't go past his knees. He would be wearing jika-tabi sandals. To finish it off, he would be wearing one armored curved sode shoulder pad was fitted on his right side.

"One shoulder pad?" Hiro nodded, he brushed his finger over the drawing. "You'll have a quiver strap coming from your right side. How well off are you using swords?" Tadashi ran a hand down the side of his neck, carefully thinking about it.

"I would need to practice. The spinal injury limited my range of motion on my right arm." Hiro looked back at his board, he was hoping to get Tadashi to use a plasma sword, but it seemed he may have trouble.

"Bow then? You took kyudo in high school." Tadashi arched his brow, it was not a bad idea. He was experienced with archery for a few years. "That could work. What about close ranged combat?"

Hiro grabbed his marker and flipped the board around to the clean side. He began drawing out how he imagined the bow to look, "I can have the bow fashioned to be carbon fiber flexible, but have the limbs act as weapons too. The string will be nylon so it won't break when you plunge a limb into something, I'll ask Honey to coat it."

It was all so fancy to him, Tadashi couldn't wait to try it out. "As for arrows, I'll make you a huge batch of normal arrows. But I'm going to ask Wasabi to maybe make you a separate set of plasma tipped arrows. You might need it, who knows."

The older man softly whistled, his brother was amazing at inventing all of these things. "How long did this take you?"

"Couple of days while you were rehabilitating. I still need to test it out. I mean, you do of course." Hiro replied, setting the marker down. The teenager plopped back down onto his chair and sighed.

"So, you like it?"

Tadashi was still looking at the board, he liked it much more than his old suit. "I love it. I like the hood and the black face mask. You really outdid yourself."

Hiro smiled, he could hear the genuine amazement in his brother's voice. He was always his role model as he grew up, it was something he never said out loud. But to be praised by your role model was a whole new feeling.

"I also changed your support system. It's going to be powered by microbots." A confused and curious look overtook Tadashi's face, what did he mean? "You'll have a layer of microbots around your legs that's ultimately going to be controlled by the spinal system on the back."

"Really now?"

Hiro nodded and grabbed two of the microbots from his desk. "They'll all stay linked as long as the system is active. If it breaks, it'll reform back up again unlike the old system where one breaks or it's just bent forever."

"It's going to act like any other exoskeleton, except you'll have microbots around your legs. Think of it like chainmail that helps you walk." Hiro pointed out. Tadashi clicked his tongue, it really was Christmas.

"You calibrated it for that use?" Hiro bobbed his head from side to side to show his uncertainty. "I'm still testing it. But it's definitely going to be done at least two weeks from now. One if I rush it."

"Let me help you later, you did a lot for me bud." He came over and stirred up the teenager's mass of black hair. Hiro swatted his hand away, "It was nothing really. But yeah we should work on it later."

* * *

><p>Tadashi stayed at the Lucky Cat for a few days, until he had to leave. In the meantime, he chatted with Aunt Cass and caught up with her. He was bombarded with her questions, but he paid no mind to it. Every single one of them were answered as best as he could.<p>

When he finally had to leave, he promised to keep in touch with her whenever he could. "I'll come back when I'm ready." he reassured. What he meant was that when he decided to show his face to the public again, he would come back to the Lucky Cat.

For now he would 'stay dead' and straighten what he had do, he was still being hounded down. "You stay safe, okay?" Cass replied, fixing the beanie on his head. It was cold out and she insisted he take Hiro's beanie for now even though he had his baseball hat.

"Of course, I'll be safe." He pulled the backpack straps over his shoulders and pulled his coat closer to himself. Hiro leaned against the frame of the door with a mug of hot chocolate in his hand, "I'll contact you later about the equipment, T."

Tadashi had his backpack of some of his belongings. He had called Honey in advance to ask her if he could bring some of his equipment over, all of them being portable. She had offered to pick him up, but he declined in hopes to wander a bit.

The older Hamada pulled his aunt into a hug and chuckled, "Last hug, Aunt Cass." The older woman returned it in an even stronger hug, almost crushing his back in the process. Tadashi departed from the café late at night, it was the only time he could go without being noticed.

The cherry blossom trees were still in full bloom, the pink spots danced in his eyes as he trudged along the streets. The snow fall had undoubtedly increased, the sidewalk now had snow past his ankles.

His hand came out in front of him as something came into his view. He had caught a one of the fallen flowers from the beautiful trees. Tadashi gently brushed the snow off and watched the petals fall apart. He tilted his head, oddly engrossed in it.

His feet came to a stop as he felt the need to change his destination. His feet took him aboard a trolley as he rode it to one of the train stations in the city. He hopped aboard one of the bullet trains and stood in one of the empty compartments.

His frost bitten hands came up to his face as he blew air into them. Tadashi shoved them in his pockets to try and absorb as much heat as he could. He pulled the beanie even further down to cover his ears, he swore he was about to lose them.

The doors of the bullet train swung open to a quiet station, where one old man sat with a steaming cup in his hand. His boots left water marks on the floor that trailed all the way up to the mouth of the underground tunnel.

Tadashi came upon the quieter part of San Fransokyo, thus leading him to the one place he would find what he was looking for. _'Izanagi Cemetery'_ it read on a sign he came across. The streets were fairly lit and there seemed to be no guard around.

A gate stood at the entrance, locked by thick padlocked chains. He rubbed his hands together and backed up as far as he could. Tadashi grounded his foot as much as he could to get some grip, then ran forward.

He stepped on one of the short brick ledges and used it to launch himself up. He got enough air to grab the edge of the fence and haul himself over. An "oof" came from the man as he landed on his side. Tadashi picked himself up and brushed the snow off his coat and pants.

"Maybe this wasn't a good idea." he muttered. There was no lighting in the cemetery, there were small shadows of each gravestone that gave off an eerie look. But he was already here and there was no turning back now.

Tadashi rubbed his nose as he rummaged through his backpack to find his flashlight. After finding it, he began going row by row to find the gravestones he was looking for. His boots crunched against the snow, shuffling about from name to name.

"Better find it before I – " Something buzzed in his backpack, he turned the flashlight off and immediately searched for it. Tadashi cursed to himself to find that he had accidentally taken Hiro's phone with him while he was grabbing his own stuff.

Honey's name and picture was on the screen, so he answered it without a thought. "Hello?"

"Hir – Tadashi?" Well he was busted.

"Yeah, sorry I accidentally took his phone with me." he breathed, his breath shaky from the cold.

"Where are you? I was going to call Hiro to ask if he knew."

"Oh, I'm just, wandering. Er – yeah." Tadashi waited for an answer, the line seemingly went quiet. Did he hang up? Or did she?

Honey's worried voice resurfaced through the other side, "Wandering? Its midnight already Tadashi. It's been two hours since you left the Lucky Cat."

It has? Tadashi looked at his watch and was surprised to see the amount of time he spent. "Oh you're right." He rubbed his nose and looked around him, standing in the middle of the cemetery at midnight was not comforting.

"Where are you? It's freezing outside you're going to get sick." Honey said softly. Tadashi cleared his throat and took out his flashlight again. "I'm at the Izanagi Cemetery." Honey questioned why he would be at the cemetery.

Then it clicked. Izanagi was where he had been 'buried'. Honey bit the bottom of her lip as she got up to get her coat. "Okay, stay there. I'll pick you up, okay?"

"Honey, you don't need to. I can catch the train back to your place."

Honey grabbed her keys and hat from the counter. "Tadashi, I'm not going to let you walk in the snow." she firmly stated. Tadashi knew there was no arguing with her, he already heard the keys in the background.

"Please drive safe." The two of them broke the conversation soon after and Tadashi went back to looking for the gravestones while Honey got into her car. He finally came upon their parent's gravestones, it was worn and slightly chipped from the years.

Tadashi crouched down and brushed his hands over the names and dates. Through the snow and wind, he held a distant memory of their parents. They kept a special place in his heart, forever residing between the shadow of his memories and time.

His lips slowly curled up and he felt water form at the base of his eyes. It was the first time in three years since he's visited their graves. He would always leave flowers at their grave, one flower for him and another for Hiro.

His hand brushed over an overturned vase, his fingertips came in contact with a snow covered stems of two flowers. Tadashi realized that Hiro had taken up what he was doing, putting one flower for himself and one for him.

"You would be proud of him. He's become so much more than just himself." Tadashi looked up as snow began to fall once more on the somber grounds he stood upon. He sighed softly, pressing his face in his hands. "I hope you're proud of me too. At least what I was three years ago."

The cold no longer bothered him, his emotions flooded his mind in place of his physical presence. "Me and Hiro found a wonderful group of friends. You would of liked them, they're a talented bunch."

He absentmindedly rubbed his hands together as his half lidded eyes watched his parent's gravestones. "There's this girl who I dearly care about. You would have liked her too. She's got the brightest green eyes I've ever seen and hair so golden it would make the sun jealous."

Tadashi hated falling back into this realm, the realm between sadness and tranquility. "Aunt Cass is doing well too, she's always so busy at the café. She was so happy when I came back. I thought she would get a heartattack." he laughed, rubbing the back of his neck with his gloved hand.

"Hiro found a new friend and another brother in Baymax. You remember me telling you guys about him? He took care of Hiro while I was gone. He's still taking care of him." He changed his crouch to finally a sitting position. His eyes drifted down to his fingers, where they fidgeted about.

"He doesn't need me anymore." he admitted. It was something he never thought he would say or admit. It felt like a relief, to tell himself that his job was done. From the moment Hiro was born, Tadashi swore to lead him and protect him at all costs.

Tadashi was a hero to his younger brother. But now he realized that Hiro was now in front of him, his younger brother was the one picking him up. Even heroes had the right to fall.

Cold air filled his lungs as he sharply inhaled through the pain in his throat and chest. "I'm sure Hiro has said this. But I miss you two. How long has it been? You're both still up there and I'm down here. But maybe it's better that way. I can't help but think of how unkind time can be. It's forcing me to forget your faces and voices." He pushed his fingers against the ground and slowly lifted himself off the frost covered grass.

His heavy footsteps became farther and farther away from their parents' gravestones. Tadashi's flashlight came upon the upright stone he was finally looking for. _'Tadashi Hamada'_

He tilted his head as his eyes fell upon a heap of objects in front of it. He slowly lowered himself and ran his hand along wilted flowers, old cards, keepsakes, photos, and containers.

"A lot of people left things at your gravestone." The voice made him jump and turn his head to see Honey standing there with a melancholy look. His eyes wandered back to his marker as he picked up some of the things in front of it. One of them was an action figure that he somewhat recognized.

"Is this from Fred?" he softly smiled. Honey nodded as she walked over and crouched next to him. One by one, she identified each item. One by one, memories floated drifted into his mind as he listened. All of the items tied back to him. When all was said and done, they sat there in silence for a while.

"Why did you come here?" Honey asked softly, watching the man stare at his name. He brushed some of the snow that fell upon his face. "I was looking for something."

He rubbed the tips of his pointer finger and thumb together, letting his lips curl into an earnest smile. "But it's hard to look for something when you don't know what you're looking for."

"I just thought maybe if I come here, I'll figure it out."

Honey slipped her warm hand into his and cupped it. She delicately ran her thumb across his knuckles to ease him. "Maybe it's not here. Or you just can't see it. Yet." she whispered, playing with his fingers.

Tadashi watched her the whole time, letting her words sink in. "Yeah, you're right." He gently squeezed her hand and helped her up as he elevated himself. Tadashi set the figure down and fixed his hat.

"Let's go home." The two made their way to the fences from which Tadashi had climbed from. "Did you climb over?"

Honey nodded, carefully pulling herself up. "I did. Why?" Tadashi shrugged his shoulder as he followed after her. He wanted to make sure she didn't fall backwards or anything.

"No reason." he replied as he clambered over the fence.

* * *

><p>I didn't want to confuse you guys too much, but I had to research most of the stuff I mentioned on Tadashi's armor. As I mentioned above, I have a reference picture with proper credits on my profile. I don't have enough time to spend sketching out the armor myself, but you can glance at the picture and sort of see what I was envisioned it to be. Here's the general terminology for anyone who might not be familiar with some of the things I mentioned earlier.<br>  
><strong>Terminology<strong>  
><em>Kote - <em>Armor sleeves_  
><em>_Suneate greaves - _Shin guards  
><em>Jika-tabi - <em>Essentially Japanese socks with a split sole, usually a rubber sole_  
><em>_Sode - _Shoulder guards_  
><em>_Kyudo - _Japanese archery, practiced similarly to martial arts_  
><em>_Izanagi - _From Japanese mythology, the god from seven generations and as well as deemed as one of the creators of Japan


	16. Flash Point

Hello there, thank you for all the reviews and messages. Writing this story alone was fun and having people actually comment on it makes it even more worth it. First is I would like to say that I _might_ release chapters more slowly in the coming days and possibly two weeks to come. I'm going to be moving back home with all of my stuff and driving is a bit of a pain. When I say slowly, it might be from about 3 to 4 days. At most it might be a week. I'll try not to stretch myself out that much but circumstances may call for it. I'm also going to be running by my plot line to see if I missed anything. I don't want to leave loose ends. But the couple of chapters is where things get a tad bit more complicated. I'll discuss the setting of this chapter at the end.

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><p>The uncertainty of the Atlas situation was becoming clearer to the whole team. Signs of the robots had completely vanished from the monitors and they had been left in the dark. After Christmas had passed, they've gone from block to block, trying to find any signs of the robots.<p>

In between their searches, the team would find themselves intercepting criminals left and right. They couldn't protect everyone, but they dealt with car chases and even heists. What made the public wonder was who the man in the white was.

Big Hero Six, that was what they called themselves, but there seemed to be a seventh member from what it looked to be. The identity of this man in the white became the subject of many talk shows for a good two weeks after his appearance.

Mixed feelings arose from the public, some praised him and others thought he seemed dangerous. Tadashi paid no mind to the media attention he was getting, he did have a laugh at it every now and then. He was given many names that had to do with his attire and demeanor.

His hero identity was slowly becoming normal upon media, as much as he didn't want it to be. He found himself loosely tied to Big Hero Six, but was called something of a vigilante. Either way, he saved civilians regardless of his public standing.

Almost a month had passed since Christmas and the team was already back to school. Life moved on and time continued its mundane cycle. Tadashi spent time in Fred's hideout, monitoring, recording, number crunching, and anything that could get them a lead.

Half lidded eyes stared at a screen as the owner's fingers glided along the keyboard. The older brother was pulling another all-nighter, despite what Hiro and Honey had said. He knew his brother was having a study session with the others too, Tadashi figured he might as well do it.

'_Beep._' His brow arched for a moment, then fell when the noise disappeared. He resumed his absentminded documentation. He'd be damned if he didn't get this done.

'_Beep._' One.

'_Beep.' _Two.

'_Beep._' Three.

His head swiveled around to look at the monitors, his grogginess had fooled him into ignoring the signs. The man leaned into the screen to see where the dots were coming from. "Come on where are you." he smirked.

Finally the dot came back to life on the map. The expression on his face fell flat. It was right at the Lucky Cat and it was moving. Tadashi pushed himself away from the screen and grabbed his bow from the table. His bike had been lost on the night he beat the man, so he stuck to free running. The microbots on his legs allowed him to perform feats more than average, one of that happened to be speed.

He was able to scale buildings of a certain height and jump from roof to roof with ease. The microbots acted not only as support, but as a shock absorbent when it came to fall. Tadashi tried to call Hiro as he ran, but got no answer.

He then dialed Wasabi, who thankfully answered. "Wasabi! Where's Hiro?" he panted frantically, rolling on the ground as he caught himself. He leapt over a pipe and slid under another set. "He went with Gogo, Honey, and Fred to get food for the study session. Why? You sound really wind – "

"Signs at the Lucky Cat. Just tell him that and have him go there, please! I – I'm already here."

Tadashi could barely form sentence as to how frightened he was for his aunt. He hung up before Wasabi had the chance to answer. It was safe to say he had tunnel visionl.

As soon as he was close, he could see black smoke wafting up from the café. His heart slammed into his chest like a sledgehammer as he got closer and closer. Tadashi's feet took off as soon as he had hit the snow covered pavement.

Fire. Yellow and orange raved against the night and had already eaten away at part of the café. Apprehension struck him like thunder, fire was his trauma and his wound. His feet suddenly felt heavy as he got closer and closer.

The image of his aunt flashed in his mind, she was in there. She would die. It would be his fault. He would lose the only parent they had. _'Move Tadashi!'_ No more waiting. No more fear. Time had a knife at his throat and he needed to act. _'Now.'_

Now. Now. Now. The word repeated in his mind as his feet picked up pace. His jog turned into a full on sprint towards the door. Tadashi leapt over the fallen table and ripped his mask off to get a full view. "Aunt Cass!" he screamed, looking around frantically. The heat around him roiled and roared against his skin and eyes.

Smoke threatened to overtake him, but he used his sleeve to cover his face. The main area of the café was empty, all that was left was the burning tables and chairs. He kicked down the kitchen door and screamed his aunt's name again. No answer and no body.

The inevitable felt to settle in as he made his way up the stairs, avoiding the fire that ate at each step. "Aunt Cass please answer me!" he roared, his voice fighting against the loud cracking of the fire. It felt like fire was crawling down his throat at every word he uttered. His breath was wearing thin, the lack of oxygen was becoming more and more noticeable.

His eyes caught sight of a hand sticking out from the kitchen, the vigilante ran over without hesitation. Cass was sprawled sideways onto the kitchen floor, she looked like she had been cooking before she was knocked out.

Tadashi grabbed her and slung her over his shoulder. He feared he was too late, that she had passed on already. Regardless, he grabbed the rolling pin on the counter and smashed open one of the windows in the kitchen. Glass pieces and wood splinters flew everywhere as the cold air pushed in against the hot air.

Tadashi grabbed the sill, ignoring the heat that burned his hand. Broken glass that held on to the sill for dear life pierced his skin and drew blood. He pulled himself and his aunt through the window, making sure that he didn't drop her. The cold wind brushed his face and delivered a fresh breath of air. He carefully pressed his foot into the snow covered rooftop and began making his way towards the road.

Suddenly something lunged at him, making him slip off the roof with Aunt Cass in his arms. In a split second, Tadashi brought Aunt Cass close to his chest in order to absorb the fall. His back came in contact with the roof of an SUV, shattering the glass and denting the top half.

The wind was knocked out of him and his senses left him for a few seconds. What happened? It was the Atlas robot, it stood in the same spot he was just at. It's neon blue eyes stared at him with unwavering vacant gaze. Tadashi rolled off the SUV and retreated towards a group of bystanders.

He firmly grabbed one of the men's shoulders, "Please." They took Cass from his hands as they gently laid her down on the pavement. An ambulance siren was already wailing in the distance, a heroic woman from the side already was administering CPR to Cass.

The hero in white whipped out the long bow and turned his heels towards the robot. Tadashi nocked an arrow on his bow and drew back. The arrowhead pointed itself straight at the clone. In a split second, the robot realized what he was doing.

It jumped down onto the sidewalk and ran at the vigilante on all fours. One of its arms was damaged from the fire, its sprint had become a bit of a hobble.

The hero in white waited for the right moment, when he saw it, his fingers released the arrow with ease. The tip came in contact with the chest and eventually the rest entered through it. The android stumbled and had the side of its body slide against the snow like an overturned truck.

As Atlas raised its head, the limb of Tadashi's bow came crashing down onto its spinal system. With a single stroke, the robot ceased to move and laid limp against the asphalt. His eyes landed back on the burning building, it was dangerous to go back, but he knew that Mochi and Baymax could still be there.

The bystanders watched the hooded hero then run back into the burning building, despite the sound of the building break. He hoped his heroism wouldn't be his undoing this time.

The ambulance had arrived and the unconscious brunette was placed on a gurney as quickly as possible. Another vehicle sped over the hill and down towards the café. The door of the car already had swung open before the car even stopped.

"_No!_" Hiro screamed, running towards the café. His feet stopped as he caught sight of the messy brown hair of his Aunt Cass. He sprinted over to the ambulance and pushed passed the paramedics. "Let me _go_! That's my aunt!" he snapped, pushing the paramedic away.

He was about to step into the ambulance when he heard one of the bystanders. "That masked guy is still in there!" '_Masked guy?_'

Hiro's breathing stopped as he realized who they were talking about. He turned to one of the paramedics, "Where? Where are you going?" he asked frantically.

"San Fransokyo General Hospital." he stuttered.

Hiro wanted to stay with his aunt Cass, but Tadashi was in the building. He wasn't going to lose his brother again. "Please take care of her." The ambulance doors slammed shut as Hiro ran towards the burning café.

"Hiro! Wait!" Wasabi called. A fire truck rolled down the hill, passing the ambulance as it did. Hiro jumped back as soon as he was close, the fire was too much. It was surrounding everything. Tears began to prickle in his eyes from the sting of the smoke and heat.

Wasabi's hand grabbed his arm as he began pulling him back. "He's in there Wasabi! My brother!" he struggled. Honey pressed a hand over her mouth as the fire swelled higher and higher. A figure emerged from the side, carrying what looked like a frame and fur.

Hiro squinted against the sweltering heat of the flame. It was Tadashi, Mochi, and Baymax. The robot had lost all its air, some of the vinyl had been melted off by the fire, exposing his damaged exoskeleton.

Mochi seemed to be unconscious as well. The firefighters approached Tadashi as he got closer and closer. Once he was far enough, he then set the robot down and set Mochi next him.

He knew he couldn't be seen here. Tadashi hobbled away, scaling one of the building before disappearing from the scene. "Hiro!" Gogo called. The teenager turned around to see his friends already piled into Wasabi's car.

He turned his heels, but stopped to realize he was leaving Baymax. He couldn't leave Baymax, but it was too late to have them switch with him. "Just go! I'll catch up!" Hiro shouted over the chaos, waving them away. Wasabi nodded and drove off into the direction Tadashi was going to.

The teenager ran towards the damaged bot and crouched beside him. The firefighters were tending to the smoke covered cat, who was now breathing steadily. "Baymax? Baymax can you hear me?" He took his sleeve and wiped it over his lens.

"H-Hiro. M-y chip is d-d-damaged. I can n-not fu-function prop-prop-properly." the robot stuttered. The eyes of his companion blinked uncontrollably, the heat had done some damage on him. Hiro sucked in his breath and nodded quickly. "Okay, you'll be fine, alright? I'll fix this. Okay? I'll fix this."

He was genuinely scared for Baymax now, it was like losing him all over again. He couldn't. Hiro wouldn't allow it. He gingerly tapped the chip compartment on Baymax's chest to reveal the green chip. It was partially cracked, he could see the fracture spreading like glass.

Hiro carefully pushed it back in and brushed the soot off Baymax's lens. Atlas had caused this, his own creation was being used against him. His loved ones were now getting hurt as a result. "Wh-why are you u-u-u-pset? I can-cannot feel p-p-pain."

Hiro bit the bottom of his lip and rubbed his eyes. "I'm so sorry buddy. Aunt Cass. You. Mochi." The robot slowly sat up, making sure that he didn't move too quickly.

"There, there. It is alright." Baymax patted the teenager's head and pulled him into a hug with whatever was left of him. Hiro pushed away his frustration and walked over to Mochi, who looked quite disoriented. He carefully pet the cat, afraid that he might hurt him. Some of his fur had been singed, but no damage to the skin occurred.

"He's breathing fine. I think we'll need to get him to a vet first though."

Hiro gave his phone number to the man, telling him to give it to the vet when Mochi was delivered. He then hoisted Baymax up and brought him along towards the public parking lot. He begun parking his moped there when Aunt Cass pointed out that he was taking up customer parking space.

He slung Baymax's arms over his shoulder and sat his skeleton behind him. "Hold on tight. Or – try to at least." His moped zoomed out of the lot and headed up the hill. Hiro needed to see Aunt Cass, he was afraid of how badly hurt she could be.

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><p>Meanwhile, an arrow sparked against the skin of steel that pursued Tadashi. It rolled out of the way and charged at him. One of its clenched hands came in contact with the side of Tadashi's face. His vision blurred for a moment as he realized how hard the Atlas clones hit. It got ready to jump again with a fury hell bent on incapacitating him.<p>

Tadashi's bow was thrust in front of him as he caught the killer mid jump. The raw weight of Atlas pinned him down and raised its fists.

Before they were brought down, he had pulled an arrow from his quiver and stuck it right through the body. Tadashi twisted it and used his bow to push Atlas off. He kicked it away and immediately grabbed the fletching of one of his arrows. He nocked it into place and drew the string with no hesitation. In a single motion, the arrow flew from its holding and ripped through the torso.

The android fell forward and slumped against the cold pavement. Tadashi gripped his side as he fell on his knees. His mind was still reeling from the fire, he was dizzy and disoriented to say the least. His mind screamed for oxygen to breathe, at the same time his insides burned.

Bright LED lights blinded him as he kneeled, it was a car. He tried to pick himself up and run back, but he ended up stumbling and falling on his back instead. "Tadashi! It's us!" Wasabi called, getting out of the car. Honey stepped over the dead robot and slid down beside her friend.

The rest gathered around him as Honey pulled the mask from his face. "Can you hear me?"

"W-wha?"

She pulled down his black mask and grabbed a handful of snow. Then she began rubbing it on the side of his face to wake him up. Tadashi pushed her hand away and pressed his hand to his forehead. "How're you feeling?" she asked worriedly.

Tadashi's vision was blurry and fogged, they could tell that he was disoriented from the way he looked about. He squinted and squeezed his eyes over and over again. "I – what?"

"We should get him back to your apartment." Gogo insisted. They carefully carried Tadashi into Wasabi's car. After the loaded him in, he slowly leaned forward and grabbed Wasabi's shoulder. "Aunt Cass, where is she?" he wheezed. He wore a desperate look, teeming with fear.

"She was taken to SF General Hospital. I'm sure Hiro is on his way there, okay? Relax." Gogo assured, pushing him back into the seat.

The van's tires screeched as it pulled quickly away from the screen. The corpse of the robot laid on it's back as its faded empty eyes stared at the lightly freckled sky.

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><p>A green moped cut in front of a small car, making the driver honk her horn. Hiro ignored it as he soared past a yellow light. Baymax twitched behind him, his cameras were becoming distorted. "Hiro, y-you should be dr-dr-driving at t-t-the speed li-li-limit. You are a-also not wearing a-a-a hel-hel-helmet." the robot mentioned.<p>

Hiro was too focused on where he was going to heed the robot's advice. "Sh – " His moped narrowly missed a car who was turning. He swore the wheels of the ride would pop and come send him flying right into the ER.

The signs of the General Hospital came into his view and he immediately went straight for the one that said 'Emergency Room'. His moped came to a screeching halt as the teen climbed off and ran towards the ER.

"H - Hiro?" '_Ah crap I forgot Baymax._' He looked over his shoulder and gestured him to stay. "Wait here buddy! Don't move, okay? I'm going to check on Aunt Cass!" The robot nodded and sat on the chair of the moped, slumping a bit.

He felt bad for leaving his friend behind, but it would be worse if he dragged him around. Baymax was already broken enough. Hiro was afraid that he would fall apart if he took him anywhere else. His body slipped past various paramedics and hospital staff members, he anxiously fell into line for the front desk.

When he got there, he pulled out a photo of him and Aunt Cass to show. "Cass Hamada? She looks like this. Can you tell me where she is please?" he asked urgently. The man behind the desk pointed him towards the ICU room she was held in, to which Hiro immediately went looking for.

He stumbled into the waiting area, where there were two rows of empty seats. Hiro breathed a sigh and plopped down on one of the chairs in a painful wait. It was the worst feeling anyone could get, to sit in a waiting room for word, anything.

Waiting rooms were purgatories for people like him, sitting between relief and grief. Time taunted him, from the clock on the wall to his feet that tapped the ground like morse code. As if he was trying to communicate to someone that didn't exist. His eyes stared at the hands on the clock, a constant reminder that he was here and she was there.

He put his head in his hands and closed his eyes in hopes that he could pass time. The whirr of robotic legs came around the corner, coming closer and closer to the boy. Hiro didn't realize it, his mind was already a whirlpool of doubt and fear.

But all that disappeared when a vinyl hand came around his shoulder to pull him into an embrace. He lifted his head to find his companion sitting next to him. They didn't need to say anything, but Hiro knew what Baymax would already say. Everything would be alright.

The doors of the ICU sprang open after the clock's hand passed midnight. The doctor noticed a teenager slumped next to what looked like a badly burnt robot. He put a hand on the black haired boy's shoulder and gently shook him. "Huh?"

"Are you a relative of Ms. Hamada?" Hiro sprang up from his slump and quickly bobbed his head. "Yes, yes I am. Is she okay? How is she?" His breath hitched in his throat as soon as he said that.

"She's fine, don't worry. She's stable. I suggest she stays in the hospital till she recovers. Oxygen stopped flowing to her brain for about a minute. It was good that the woman did CPR on her. Visiting hours will begin later in the noon for her."

Hiro was relieved, he wasn't allowed to visit her till tomorrow though. But he could feel the knot in his chest subside and give him room to breathe. He flipped out his phone and began dialing Gogo.

"Hiro."

"Gogo, Aunt Cass is okay. She's stable, she lost some oxygen flow to her brain and she needs time to recover. I can visit her later in the day."

"I'll tell them. Anything else?" she asked.

"How is Tadashi?"

"He's been worrying about Aunt Cass. But I think after he hears this he'll be more relaxed. He got a few cuts and bruises, nothing serious. He inhaled a fair amount of smoke though. The guy had a coughing fit." she explained. He could hear some shuffling in the background.

"That's good to hear."

Silence passed as he tried to think of what else to ask. He was quite tired himself. "How's Baymax?"

Hiro glanced over to his friend, who was already slumping over. The battery sign flashed on his chests, showing that he needed to be recharged.

"I need to recharge him. But it was lost in the fire. His chip is damaged too. I need to repair it and make him a new charging station. I think… he'll have to be shut down for a while." he said softly.

"I'm sorry." She replied solemnly. Hiro pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily. "How did those robots find my home?"

"Were you tracked?" she asked. Hiro leaned his back against the seat and thought about the probability. "No, I couldn't have been tracked."

Silence passed through each end as they tried to think of what tipped the clones off. "Something must have led them to you then." Hiro nodded slowly, letting her words sink in. Then his eyes shot open, he remembered the chip.

"Remember when we went to the warehouse Atlas attacked? After Wasabi stopped it I took the chip from its body. In order for me to look at the coding, I had to reactivate it."

"That's what must have led them to you then. That chip was sending out a signal."

Hiro smacked his forehead in frustration. "I'm so stupid!" he growled, feeling a rush of anger. It boiled up from the depths of his heart and out of his mouth. "I shouldn't have done that. What was I thinking?"

"Hey, look, just relax okay? Let's fix what he have to do first and then worry about what went wrong." Hiro sighed and looked at his exhausted companion. "Yeah. Hey, I'll call you or someone else later. I have to deal with Baymax."

Hiro hung up the phone and pocketed it. He then stood in front of his seated friend and fixed him upright. "H-Hiro."

He smiled bitterly as friend blinked uncontrollably. "Hey, you're almost out of battery." The robot stiffly nodded his head and pointed to his chest. Hiro sucked in his breath and exhaled, he knew he had to shut Baymax down for a while. But at the same time, it was like seeing his brother die.

"Baymax. I need to shut you down for a bit. Your charging station is gone and I need to fix that chip." he explained, gently poking his 'heart'. The robot tilted his head and nodded slowly, "I-I unders-t-tand."

"But I'm going to fix you up as quickly as I can, okay? I'm going to fix you up and you'll be good as new, okay?" he blurted. Baymax slowly nodded again, he knew if he spoke more, his battery would run out faster.

Hiro looked at the time, it was almost sunrise. He placed his hand on top of Baymax's head and gently patted it. He gently tapped the chip compartment on his chest and placed his finger upon the green plate. "Go to sleep now buddy. I'm satisfied with my care. I'll wake you up when it's morning again." he said softly.

Baymax's eyes looked at Hiro, before slowly closing his eyes. The inventor carefully took the chip out and pushed his compartment back in. In a few seconds, Baymax powered himself down. The burnt nurse bot slumped forward just in time for Hiro to catch him.

He stashed Baymax's chip safely away and hid it in the pocket of his jacket. Hiro pulled out his phone and dialed Fred's number. "Hiro, buddy, what's up?"

"Hey Fred, I was wondering, can I stay at your house for a bit? I just need to use your workstation and fix Baymax."

"Sure man, just crash at my place for a while. What happened to Baymax? Is he okay?" the blonde man asked.

"I shut him down temporarily. He was almost out of battery. But that's why I need to make a charging station for him. Then fix his chip."

"Well yeah, my house is all yours brother. Did you need a ride? Heathcliff can pick you up."

Hiro rubbed his brow and fixed Baymax into a sitting position. "Thanks again Fred, I really appreciate you doing this. Also, it's okay, I got my moped with me."

"Alright dude, I'll tell Heathcliff you're coming." Hiro dragged Baymax out of the hospital by slinging him over his shoulders. He was glad he got taller, he was afraid that he would be dragging and damaging his friend further. Weird looks were shot his way as he waddled out of the hospital. It wasn't every day you see a kid dragging a burnt robot through a hospital.

Once he got to his moped, he secured Baymax to make sure he didn't fall off. He then drove carefully through the snow covered streets. There was a lot on his mind that night, anger softly toiled inside of him from what Atlas had done to the café.

There was no saving his robot now, he made the conscious choice to permanently shut Atlas down when he had the chance. His grip on the handles got tighter as he thought about the Syndicate. They were the cause of this. At the same time, he was too. Blame was easy to pass, but hard to accept.

He shook his head as he came upon Fred's house. Heathcliff stood at the steps and greeted him. "Master Fredrick had told me you would be coming. I have prepared the guest room for your arrival. The workstation is also available for your use."

Hiro nodded as he kicked the stand up for the moped. "Thank you Heathcliff."

"Of course. Do you need assistance in carrying your friend?"

The teenager slung one of Baymax's arms across his shoulder. "No, it's fine. Don't need to hassle yourself. I can do the rest." Heathcliff nodded and held the door open for him. He dragged Baymax through the house as he followed Heathcliff to the workstation. "If you need anything, please notify me. Anything here is for your benefit."

Hiro went straight to work on Baymax's charging station. He needed some high grade materials that was for sure. He luckily kept all his blueprints on a cloud storage he had created himself. Every single one of his ideas were saved there in case something like the fire happened.

He compiled a list of everything he needed, he had the tools in Fred's house, it was just the materials. After that, he took Baymax's damaged chip under the scope. Hiro didn't sleep that night, despite having school the next day. He tinkered away with the chip carefully, making sure that he didn't further damage it.

Daybreak hit and realized he couldn't fix it. "I need to transfer it." he muttered under his breath. Hiro pushed his chair away from the desk and rolled to the other side. He rummaged through each drawer till he found spare data chips. Hiro emptied out one of the chips he took and gently hooked up the green chip to a computer and did the same with the other one.

After the transfer was complete, he gently broke the casing off the new one and set it aside. Hiro wanted to keep the green one his brother had. Then he carefully took the casing off Baymax's original card. "Yo!" Fred's voice made Hiro jump in his seat.

"Holy hell Fred, don't do that." he hissed. Fred looked over and clamped his mouth, "Sorry dude."

"It's fine, I was just transferring Baymax's data." Fred walked over to the immobile robot on the table. A frown crossed his face as he looked Baymax over, he noticed the broken exoskeleton and burned edges of the vinyl.

"I can't believe this happened to him. Gogo told me about aunt Cass, I'm glad she's okay." he said.

"I am too." he said softly. A small '_click_' came from the chip as he fully attached the casing on it. Hiro brushed his hand over the label to make sure it wouldn't peel off. "I'm at a loss Fred."

His blond haired friend looked over in curiosity. "About what?" he asked as he wandered over to Hiro.

"About finding where they're hiding Atlas. I did scans _all over_ the city, I monitored almost every single district, and there was a few dark spots. " Hiro grunted in frustration. He ran a hand through his hair and folded his hands behind his head.

Fred scratched his chin and looked at the chip. "How did they find the café again?"

Hiro held up Baymax's old fractured core in front of him, "When I took that programming chip from the first Atlas bot we destroyed, I reactivated it at my lab in the garage. What I'm guessing is that it sent out a signal the moment it reactivated it. I deactivated it but reactivated it again a couple of times this past month. Someone must have realized that it wasn't moving and sent more of it's siblings to check on it."

Fred crossed his arms over his chest and scrunched up his face. He then turned to Hiro and grabbed his shoulders. "Dude, I remember reading the comic called Agent Ethan Hazard and he was tracked too. When he found the chip implanted in his system, he took it out with a scalpel. Then guess what?"

Hiro cringed just thinking about what he said. "Uh, he went to the hospital because he's bleeding?"

"No man! He took the chip and traced the signal back to who was tracking him. Then he died! Because his ex-best friend now turned evil killed him." Fred exclaimed, shaking Hiro. The 18 year old stared at him for a second, unsure of what to say.

But he realized what he was getting at. "Fred you're a genius. Also that's kind of sad that he died like that." Fred nodded quickly. Hiro turned himself to his computer and looked at the monitors.

"We need to destroy another Atlas robot and take the chip. After that, we can reactivate it and trace the signal back to the source." he said. Confidence swelled up inside of his chest after finally being presented a resolution.

His phone rang in his pocket and he immediately answered. "Hiro Hamada here."

"Hiro, are you near a TV?" asked Tadashi. Hiro glanced around and saw one of the flat screens near the wall. "Yeah, I am. Why?" he replied, rolling himself over.

"Turn it on and put it to SFNN. You need to see something."

Hiro grabbed the remote from the chair and turned the television on. He flipped it to the news network and immediately read the headlines, '_Recent String of Robotic Attacks Linked to SFIT Robotics Prodigy, Hiro Hamada_'

"What – what the hell?" Hiro exclaimed, almost losing the phone in his hands. It was one more problem he had to worry about. "They found one of the robots we destroyed near the Lucky Cat. Someone who was at the showcase identified it as Atlas." Hiro rubbed his face and groaned loudly.

"I can't believe this is happening."

"Murphy's Law little brother, anything that can go wrong, _will go wrong_." Tadashi scoffed. "This isn't time for laws and theories. I can't tell if you're trying to help me or what."

He could hear Tadashi chuckle on the other side of the phone. "Well, good news is your famous. Bad news is you're wanted for questioning."

Hiro bit the bottom of his lip, he had never been in this much trouble. Typical law enforcement, but never on a scale such as this. "What should I do?"

"Well, don't turn yourself in is one. You might need to take a break from school." Tadashi was afraid of the aftermath of course, but he was sure the rampant robots was much worse.

Hiro rubbed the back of his neck and turned down the volume of the TV. He set the remote back and slumped in his chair. "Aunt Cass is okay. She's resting in the hospital right now."

"Yeah Gogo told me."

He pressed his tongue against his cheek, it was them for now. "About the fire. I'm sorry."

"Why? What for?"

"The chip that sent out a signal gave them a location to – "

Tadashi's above than normal voice came up on the other side, "Hiro Hamada. What's done is done. You made a calculated decision. You can't always see what's going to happen in the future. So chin up little brother, this isn't the time to look at your feet."

He was spot on, moping and blaming himself wouldn't fix this issue. A surge of confidence ran through Hiro's veins as he sighed heavily. "You're right. Yeah, I got to keep my head straight."

"Good. Now, what's the plan?"

Hiro pushed himself back to his table, "Fred proposed we use one of the programming chips to bounce the signal back and forth to find out who or where they're tracking Atlas from. Hopefully we find the rest of the robots there. To do that, we need to destroy another one."

Tadashi was smiling from ear to ear on the other side of the phone, this was a plan he could get behind. "So finding a bot you said?"

"Yeah, if you can do that for me. I can do the rest."

* * *

><p>Tadashi was up and about the next night. He had wasted enough time sitting the rest of the day. The twenty one year old poked his head into her door, "Honey, I'm going out." Ever since they'd live together, Tadashi got in a habit of reporting Honey what he was doing. She of course did the same. They also formed other habits, study nights, movie nights, and he was even forced to do Pilates with her.<p>

Honey looked up from her chemistry notebook, she had been studying different compounds ever since she finished tending to Tadashi.

"Out? What for?" she asked curiously. He slipped inside and rummaged in the closet they shared. Tadashi pushed hangers left and right to look for his suit. It was odd that he casually just kept his in Honey's closet. "Hiro needs another robot, he needs the program card in it."

Honey tilted her head in curiosity. "Why? That's the thing that brought the clones there in the first place." she frowned, closing her notebook. Tadashi went into her bathroom to change, he left a crack to be able to talk to her. "Well, that's the point. Sort of. We need to trace the receiving end of that signal. Hopefully quick enough for us to get there without them noticing."

By the time he said that, she was already in her own gear. She fixed the strap on her bag and made sure everything was working well. There was no way she would let the man go alone again. She knew how reckless he could be almost as much as Hiro did. Honey then walked to the bathroom and stood in front of the door, waiting for Tadashi.

He swung the door open, "So, I'm going to go look for – " He came face to face with the visor of his girlfriend and her green eyes staring right back at him. Tadashi's eyes wandered down to her suit, noting that she was fully clad in her armor.

"Honey, no." he said, crossing his arms over his chest. Honey's eyes narrowed and she crossed her own arms over her chest. "_Really_ now?"

Tadashi opened his mouth, but slammed it shut when he knew he was going to get talked down by the strong woman. "It's really dangerous. You've seen what those robots can do." he huffed. Honey pulled her helmet off to look him straight in the eye.

Tadashi couldn't help but smile like a lovesick boy when he saw her take her helm off. '_Wow._'

"Tadashi, you really think that after three years I wouldn't be able to hold my own?" Tadashi quickly shook his head from side to side. "No." he sheepishly replied, rubbing the side of his neck.

"Then, let me go with you." she said softly. His expression relaxed as he knew he barely had any right to tell her what not to do. That and he was sure she would follow him anyway. Tadashi gently took the helmet from her hands and gingerly placed it over her head. "Fine, but you have to let me carry you. I'm going to be scaling buildings." he smiled.

Honey bashfully pushed his shoulder and turned on her heels towards the door. "Deal. Don't drop me." Tadashi closed the door and followed her out to the balcony. "How much shock can that support absorb?"

He picked her up and placed his foot over the railing. "Well I don't know. But let's find out."

"Wait, what Tad– " A scream echoed into the quiet night as two figures disappeared into the night. If the stars could hear what was happening below them, they could hear laughter that rang as clear as day.

* * *

><p>I always had trouble fully making my reader get time skips, because I don't write them out very well sometimes. It's safe to say that it's about the end of January for the team and it's nearing February. So the fire didn't happen a few days after he left, just in case it sounded like that. I wanted to go into detail about how the cafe burned down on this chapter, but I didn't want to drag it on. So I'll cover it in another chapter. If I left anything out, or something wasn't mentioned right, or even if you question some of my decisions, please feel free to message me. I'm not going to throw a fit or anything. hehe<br>- D.R.


	17. Blackout

Hello! Sorry for being late with this update, it's been a hectic week. I will say that things will begin to escalate from this point on, things like what happened to Tadashi when he disappeared will be covered soon. Again, thank you for supporting this project and me as well, I get a kick out of reading reviews and seeing different people follow it. I'm probably forgetting to mention something, but it'll probably come to me later. It's 7am and I haven't stopped by a coffee shop yet, my train of thought is slow. hehe Anyway, that's all for now.  
>- D.R.<p>

* * *

><p>If Tadashi could describe looking for these robots, it was like finding a needle in a haystack. He kept in touch with Hiro the whole time, he was the one keeping an eye on the monitor. "Okay, can you see the marker I put on your guys' mini map?" A red dot flashed in the corner of their eye, indicating that it was working.<p>

Since Tadashi wasn't wearing a helmet like the rest, his was implanted in his kitsune mask. Hiro had his fashioned in a very interesting design. It was a one way mask to him, he could see through the whole mask. On the other side, people could only see the face of the kitsune and not the wearer. This allowed him to still have the same visibility that the others had, but have his identity well hidden.

"Yeah, we can see it." Tadashi replied. He heard some furious keyboard tapping on Hiro's side. Then it went silent before he heard a few clicks from his mouse. "Nice, nice. I'm hooked up to your guys' mapping system. I'll be able to mark the targets from here. You can cut the line for now. I'll continue to mark and track targets that show on the monitor."

It was their turn to hunt the predator.

Tadashi ended the line between him and Hiro, then turned to Honey. "You cold?" he asked. The blonde shook her head and motioned to her skin tight suit. "Hiro made it where the material can regulate temperatures. It's strong too."

Tadashi chuckled and pulled his mask up past his nose, "If it wasn't robotics. I swear he could be a fashion designer." Honey giggled at his comment, she could see him being good in that field too, maybe for futuristic clothing.

A red dot flashed on their map and began to move. Hiro had found one of the robots. "Let's go miss." Tadashi picked up Honey like a bride and took off into a sprint. She kept her arms locked firmly around his neck as she enjoyed the ride. Tadashi reminded her of a ninja infused with samurai gear, he didn't have a sword but he wielded a bow.

Archery took patience and virtue, something that Tadashi very much had. It was no surprise to her that he took up such an art. He had poise, discipline, and a demeanor that could calm the angriest animal ever. He was physically capable of being who he was as well, the microbots just bolstered it.

"Direct me, will you? I'm trying to make sure I don't miss a ledge or something." he asked. Honey nodded and watched the dot slowly move. "It's heading east, towards Barker street."

Tadashi knew the city pretty well, he had to since he always tracked his brother whenever he went missing. He was careful when he turned, the snow was soft and slippery. The woman in his arms was quite lightweight too, he felt like he was carrying a lightly packed suitcase.

"It's still going east. It just reached Barker."

His hot breath became puffs against the cold air, it tickled his cheek every now and then. "It stopped in front of Miraloma." she quickly stated. He jumped over the ledge of another building and landed on another. Tadashi slowed down as Miraloma came closer and closer in his map.

His feet skidded to a halt as they approached the ledge of the building. The red marker had stopped, he unfortunately couldn't get a more detailed location. "See anything?" he asked, carefully setting Honey down.

Below them was a quiet street, they were near one of the old abandoned factories. It had been owned by Krei Tech before it had to be shut down due to the massive financial loss they suffered. Van Buren had yet to claim it. Honey squinted against the lack of light and saw a flash of blue in one of the window panes. "I think it's in there." she pointed.

Tadashi nodded and gestured her to follow. They dropped down silently from the rooftops and made their way towards the entrance of the factory. The door had been bent and broken, the robot had forcefully made its way in. As they got closer and closer, they could hear the scraping of metal against cement.

The robot made a huge ruckus within the factory, shuffling whatever it had in its hands. Honey armed herself while Tadashi nocked one arrow in his string. He sucked in his breath and listened. The rustling had stopped from within. Why?

Atlas's footsteps slowly scraped against glass covered ground, scraping and crunching all the while. Honey glanced at Tadashi, who mouthed out 'three, two, one'. As soon as zero came around, Tadashi broke from hiding with an already drawn bow.

As soon as his shot was lined up with his target, he let his arrow fly. The robot whipped around just as the arrow slammed right into its shoulder, heavily damaging its nerve system. Honey's arm was already in mid-pitch, the bomb flew from her hands and landed right at the feet of the robot.

Tadashi's fingers deftly pulled out another arrow from his quiver and drew the string as soon as the shaft hit the limb. The bot had grabbed a metal plate that he had been collecting and put it in front of itself just in time to catch Tadashi's arrow.

Its neon blue eyes caught sight of the bomb heading his way, so it quickly spun the plating right at the explosive.

"Move!" The compound ball had exploded upon impact of the plating, which now flew right at Honey's direction. The woman jumped out of the way, just almost getting nicked by the sharp metal object. Atlas had freed itself from Honey's freezing chemical by sacrificing its leg. It then leaped towards one of the railings above.

Wasabi's special arrow came to life as Tadashi activated it and armed it upon his bow. Honey's purse had a pipe extend from the back and a trigger pop out from the hard end of the strap. Atlas clumsily pulled itself over the railing and onto the platform.

Honey loaded her rocket launcher with a breaking agent, then shot it right from under the robot. The platform's metal eroded and sent the robot plummeting to the ground. Tadashi followed up with a the plasma arrow Wasabi made for him.

What made the arrow even more special that it was made specifically for taking down Atlas. A small EMP burst would escape the arrow soon after it embedded itself within the target. Once the arrow had ate into Atlas's body, a small spark emitted from the arrow and traveled throughout the robot's body.

The neon eyes faded to black and the body slumped forward. Tadashi looked over at his companion, whose rocket launcher was retracting. "What?" she asked curiously, noting the puzzled look.

"Rocket launcher?" he gestured. Tadashi knew she had a knack for blowing things up as much as she did for danger. Although the rocket launcher surprised him. "Yeah, I brought it to Hiro as an idea and he made it happen. Like it?" she asked, holding it out to him.

Tadashi walked over and weighted the launcher in his hand. "It's really light. This is cool." he exclaimed. He handed it back to her and watched her collapse it right back into her purse. "Right?" she said happily. Honey pulled the purse around her shoulder and followed Tadashi to the fallen robot.

"Why was it here?" Honey asked curiously, it was an odd place to be. Tadashi inspected the pile it was trying to make from afar. "It was gathering robot parts. I'm guessing it was told to come here to get those things." he gestured.

He carefully pulled the arrow out of the robot and slipped it back in his quiver. Tadashi felt his com crack back to life. "The dot disappeared, what happened?" Honey overturned the robot and checked out any damage they might have caused to the chip.

"We took it down. Thanks to Honey's rocket launcher."

"Isn't it the bomb?" Hiro remarked. Tadashi sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You didn't just make that joke."

"I did."

"Nerd."

"Takes one to know one, brother. I learned from the best anyway." Hiro shrugged. Tadashi crouched down beside Honey and inspected the plating. "Can you tell us how to open this without damaging it too much?"

"Turn it over. Find the plating on the back, right? You might need to force it off, I forgot to give you tools. Find the programming chip, should be in a gray casing." Tadashi placed his hands between the plating and the body. He sucked in his breath and attempted to rip it off. It budged just a bit.

He exhaled and fell on his behind after trying. Honey tried not to laugh, who earned a glare from her boyfriend. "My hands going to hurt after all of this." Honey left the man to his devices and went to look around the factory. Her eyes landed on a crowbar under some rubber. She pulled it out and walked back to Tadashi.

"I think this might be better to use." she offered. Tadashi thanked her and began prying each side of the plating. When he popped the last one off, he impatiently tossed the cover aside. "There's a casing."

"Yeah, that's just the plastic cover. It's like the ribcage under the skin. Just rip it off."

Tadashi did just that, also tossing the cover away. He ran his fingers deftly over every inch of the robot's internal components. His hand stopped over the chip he mentioned, "Do I just pull it out?"

"Mhm. Carefully though." Tadashi gingerly took hold of both sides and felt it come out of place. He then placed it in the container that Hiro wanted it in.

"The operation was successful doctor Hamada." Honey jokingly nudged. Tadashi smirked and helped her up. "Couldn't do it without my talented and beautiful nurse."

"Gross, get a room. I'm still on the other line you know." Hiro whined. The two stifled their laughter from the boy's reaction.

"Want to hear us make out?" Honey sharply elbowed Tadashi, earning a grunt from him. "What?" he laughed, moving away from her. There was no way she would ever do that when their com link was open. The couple would always tease the younger Hamada, although Hiro didn't mind one bit. Frankly, he was happy to see Tadashi be so in love with Honey. He'd always talk to the teen about her, about their dates and their nights together. It's what he needed to do anyway, to reconnect with the ones he loved.

"How about you not. I want to keep my dinner. Just bring the chip to me after you two stop sucking face." A genuine laugh erupted from Tadashi's chest as he put the chip in the folds of his armor. He pulled the hood over his head and fixed his gear while Honey did the same.

"Let's get out of here. You might catch a cold." the man said. Honey slipped her hands in with his, having a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. The two of them grew accustomed to each other's little quirks, they could read each other like a book. Tadashi already spotted her , so he smirked and leaned in. "What?"

The woman shrugged innocently and began walking away. "Nothing. I just forgot to tell you how good you look in that." A puff of smoke escaped the man's lips, she could be so vague sometimes.

Tadashi came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He pressed a kiss to her cheek and rested his chin gently against her shoulder. "How about how good I look without it, hm?" he suggested slyly.

His forehead earned a soft flick from the woman's fingers. "Tadashi Hamada you need to try harder than that. You've been weak with it lately." she teased, playing with the hair that stuck out from his head.

"Yeah well, you ruin me." he pouted, turning her around. Amusement lit up her eyes as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "In the best way possible." she said innocently. Ever so tenderly, her lips met his in one of the many moments they shared like this. "Of course." he mumbled in the corner of his mouth.

It wasn't the first time they've fought side by side. Both of them worked so well in the field that it was almost unreal.

"We should go, before Hiro ends up calling me again." Honey's forehead touched his and she slowly nodded with half lidded eyes. Tadashi then swept the chemist off her feet. "Don't drop me."

"Never." he whispered, pressing one last kiss to her cheek.

* * *

><p>The two were heading to Fred's mansion to deliver the chip. When they got there, they entered in from the back where Heathcliff was waiting. Tadashi and Honey were led to the workstation, where Hiro was staying.<p>

"I actually saw that movie. I thought they really made him scarier than the ones before."

"Same here dude. I thought it was gonna be bad."

Hiro and Fred's voice filtered from the open door, it seemed that they were talking about monster movies. "They are here." Heathcliff announced, stepping away from the door.

"Hey hey." Hiro greeted. Tadashi rubbed his hands together, it was comforting to be in a room so warm. Tadashi took out the container and handed it to his little brother. "No damages."

"Thanks, saved me so much time." Hiro pointed out. He rolled back to his station with the chip and set it aside. "I won't activate it yet. We're at Fred's house. I don't want to reveal it to them."

Tadashi nodded as he turned to look at Baymax on top of the workstation. He touched the scorched edges of the vinyl skin, noting how much of it he had lost. Honey gently ran her fingertips on his head, having a melancholy look upon her face.

"I'm making him a new charging station. I transferred his data already." Hiro spoke. It hurt him just as much to see Baymax the way he was. Tadashi nodded and gently ruffled his brother's hair.

Hiro pulled out his wallet and held out forty dollars to Tadashi. "What's this for?" he asked.

"Can you buy forty dollars' worth of flowers for Aunt Cass and deliver it? I can't go to the hospital without being recognized." Tadashi nodded and placed it in his wallet.

"She's in room 302." Hiro noted. Tadashi made a mental note to do it tomorrow. "I'll buy it for her tomorrow and deliver it."

"Thanks. Send her my regards, just explain to her why I can't come as lightly as you can. I don't' want her to get a cardiac arrest while she's hospitalized."

Tadashi nodded and made his way to the entrance with Honey in tow. "Call me if you ever need help with that charging station." he called over his shoulder.

The two of them made their way back to the apartment they shared. Honey closed the door to the balcony and took her helmet off her head. A tired sigh escaped her lips as she collapsed onto the comfy sofa.

Tadashi set his weapons in Honey's closet and changed into his pajamas with a Henley shirt. He came back to the living room to find the blonde on the sofa. "Tadashi, carry me to the bed please." she whined. He scoffed in amusement and sat on the edge of the sofa.

"I carried you across the city, you really can't get up now?" he pressed. Honey hummed and turned her body away from him. Tadashi leaned over and pressed a kiss on her exposed cheek, making her giggle in response. "Yeah, but I'm really tired."

"Mhm, you said that the last time. And what happened?"

The blonde looked over her shoulder and hugged the couch pillow. "You carried me around the whole house for hours." He arched a brow at her, the woman beamed brightly and sat up.

"Fine. I still need to change though." She shoved the pillow at his face and got up from the couch. The pillow landed on his hands and then back on the sofa.

"Gotcha boss." Honey was halfway to her room until she peeked over to the living room again. "I could use some help though." she suggested innocently. The couch was empty in a second, with the previous inhabitant already trailing his lover. "At your service, miss."

* * *

><p>The next day, he went to go do some errands for Honey. Despite being heroes, they all had school and work lives as well. Her shift was especially long today, so he took the liberty in doing some of her schedule for her. There was a lot of walking around and cleaning that had to be done, but he was glad he could help her in any way. His 'work' ended late noon, the last thing on his schedule was visiting Aunt Cass.<p>

Tadashi went to the florist to get her some flowers. He ended up wearing bandages to cover the burns that a good portion of the other half of his face. It got him some looks from civilians, but he didn't mind much since his scars were covered. He didn't run by The Lucky Cat Café, it was too hard to see it in ashes. His home had been destroyed.

"Did you need help sir?" asked one of the employees. Tadashi shook his head at the florist.

"No, I'm still looking. Thank you though." She nodded and walked to the other side of the store. After he purchased a bouquet and a vase to hold it in. Then he went on his way, noting that it was almost sunset. _'I took way too long. I probably should have just let her help me_.'

He ended up jogging all the way to the hospital just to make up time, it was embarrassing to him to be so late. Tadashi didn't need to stop by the front desk for which room his aunt was in, Hiro already had told him. He stopped at 302 and took his jacket off.

Tadashi fixed his shirt and hair like his aunt always used to tell him to do. Then he cleared his throat and gently knocked against the door. No answer. He slowly opened the door and looked inside. His brows scrunched together after his eyes landed on the numerous breathing apparatuses she had.

He quietly made his way inside to sit beside her bed. Tadashi had never seen his aunt look so tired and exhausted. He put the flowers in the vase and set them on her bedside table. The beeping of the machines and the pumping of the apparatus filled the room in their eerie song.

Regardless, he slipped his hand into hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. She didn't stir or make a sound in any manner. Why? "Aunt Cass, I'm here." he wavered. No response. Why? He swore she was deemed fine the day before. What happened now? Sweat dripped down the back of his neck as he felt his hand move away from hers. His questions went unanswered, only getting a response by the machines that surrounded them.

These were the sounds he hated to hear, they weren't always good indications. It was an invitation to grief, something he didn't need. It was all too familiar to him, to hear this mechanical chorus again. It was like seeing his mother die for the second time, to hear the long mind numbing beep of the flat line. Then to finally hear the apparatus stop pumping and let silence take its place.

He stood up and walked to the end of her bed. Tadashi snatched the clipboard from the hook and began flipping through it. His eyes skimmed each page and read everything like it was the instructions to how to break his heart. Because that's what it did, when his eyes fell upon the word 'comatose'.

His head shook from side to side as he read it over and over again, hoping that it was just an error on the doctor's part. It wasn't. She had fallen into coma after the initial diagnosis from the lack of oxygen. It was at that point that the clipboard was no longer in his hand, it sat at the bottom of his foot with a loud clatter.

Rage swirled within him as if he was ready to blow. Tears burned and blurred his vision but he pushed them away. He wouldn't cry, not here, not in front of his aunt. Comas were still an enigma, even now. It was a realization that their life hung in limbo between life and death. There was no sure answer as to when they'll wake up. Even then, how much would the person remember?

In the end, if they did pass away. It was almost similar to watching a person slowly die.

The door swung open and a nurse stepped in, she had heard the sound. "Sir?" Tadashi wiped his face as he leaned down to grab the clipboard. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make a noise at this time. My hand just slipped." he muttered as he place it on the hook.

The woman nodded and looked over to Aunt Cass. "Are you her son?" she asked. Tadashi bit the bottom of his lip and slowly shook his head. It would be awkward if he was identified as Tadashi. "No, I'm a friend of hers."

The nurse slowly nodded and walked over to the immobile woman. "Is she going to be okay?" he asked as the nurse monitored her equipment. She looked up and met his eyes, then nodded reassuringly. "She'll be fine."

Tadashi didn't linger around anymore, he began to pent-up rage within his heart and it began to show in his emotions. He entered the streets with his hands in his jacket and the cold wind blowing against him. He pulled out his phone and dialed Hiro.

"Hey Tadashi." his brother yawned.

He rubbed his face from the cold and cleared his throat, "She's in comatose."

Silence followed after his statement. "What? Who?"

"Aunt Cass." he mustered.

"The doctor said she was – "

"She fell into it the following hours. It was from the lack of oxygen." he cut in. He wouldn't mention that he lagged in the rescue, that fear had stopped him for just a few seconds. But in those few seconds he possibly could have prevented what happened. It slowly sank to the bottom of his heart like a jagged rock.

He could hear Hiro sigh, the sound people make when they're tired and exhausted. He was too, emotionally and mentally. Hiro landed on his chair and let his words sink in. Everything seemed to be escalating out of control and where they would end up no one had a clue. First Baymax, now Aunt Cass. The line was silent on both ends, none of the brothers knew what to say. Tadashi knew his words would be no comfort to the teen, it wouldn't bring her out of her deep catatonic state.

"First I can't even show my face and now I can't even see Aunt Cass awake." Tadashi looked at his feet and slowly dug his feet into the snow. The hurt and frustration dripped from Hiro's voice, yet still unbroken and unshaken.

Suddenly, everything went black. A loud buzz echoed throughout the city as it plunged everything in utter darkness.

San Fransokyo's once vibrant neon lights and cityscape now turned into a dark silhouettes against the star ridden sky. "What the hell…" Tadashi breathed.

"Fred's power went out, good thing I have autosave." He heard Hiro walking about in his workstation.

"Hiro, the whole city went out."

"Excuse me?" Hiro frowned.

"The whole city just had a blackout. Nothing is working.." he explained, pressing his back against the wall. Suddenly, he heard the sound of shrieking metal, the kind you would hear in a car accident. Tadashi pressed himself against an alleyway and cursed under his breath. People had become disoriented in a matter of seconds.

"What happened?" Hiro asked frantically. "I don't know. But I'm going – damn! The hospital!" Tadashi hung up the phone and sprinted back towards the general hospital. He almost ran into a few people who were trying to figure out the problem.

Civilians in stores began filing out into the street and calling their friends and family left and right. A police chopper flew overhead, most likely keeping an eye out on the streets. Cop cars began slowly rolling down the roads, shouting that it was a minor failure in the power grid.

He kept going against the current of people until he reached the hospital where he could see flashlights shining. "Excuse me, you guys are using the generators right?" Tadashi asked one of the nurses. He nodded quickly, "We can't turn the lights on, we need to use it for the machines or it's going to be spent."

Tadashi nodded and debated whether he should leave or stay. He looked outside and knew that this wasn't just a simple power grid failure. His phone vibrated in his pocket and he absentmindedly answered it. "Tadashi, are you in the city?"

"I am. I went to visit Aunt Cass." he panted, struggling against the people who were trying to come in. The hospital quickly became a camp for anyone nearby. "What happened? All the power is out and downtown is dark too." she asked concernedly.

"I don't know. But I bet it had something to do with Atlas." he softly muttered.

This wasn't good, not only was the city powerless, but it had no heat. He began heading towards one of the power stations of San Fransokyo, that was a start. "Honey, I'll call you back. It's chaotic here right now. But I'll call you when I figure it out."

"Please be careful."

"I always am." he joked, trying to lighten up the mood. Tadashi pulled his hood over his head and tried to meander his way through the horde of people. Crying and chatter filled the air as parents tried to calm their frightened children. He was careful where he walked, he still had light from the moon, but he avoided the shadows.

There were people who moved away from the dark and those who lived in it. He was sure looting and violence would begin to spike, people loved any opportunity of anarchy they can get. Tadashi brought his face mask up to his nose, the cold was beginning to nip at his nose.

Cars ended up being locked and the owners forced to walk, driving with no light was suicide. As he got closer and closer to one of the power facilities, he could see some cop cars parked around the entrance. He crept silently towards one of the buildings next to it and crawled up the ladder to the roof. Tadashi could hear the sound of sparks and people shouting as he got closer to the ledge.

He carefully peeked past the railing of the building rooftop and observed the scene. From row to row, the generators were destroyed. None of the workers could get too close, they were in danger of being hurt by the broken generators. The plant was completely ransacked.

He squinted against the lack of light and saw a mangled robot corpse. It looked like one of the robots had become collateral damage in the process. He pushed himself away from the ledge and texted the whole group about the issue he found.

Tadashi stayed atop of the building, listening to the officers below. He could catch some of the things they were talking about, the situation was much worse than he imagined. "Water system … overload … backups failing." He pulled out his phone again and called Hiro.

"Hiro, we need to trace that signal now. If we don't, this city is going to descend to hell real quick." he stated firmly. "I was just about to say that. I rushed the program I made on my laptop, I can activate it and just have it showing on my screen while we move. I just told the others to meet at Fred's house."

"I'm on my way." Tadashi ended up calling Honey last, to ask if she could bring his things. He left the area before he was caught and began making his way to the mansion.

Little did they know, there were bigger things happening on the outskirts of San Fransokyo. The Golden Gate Bridge had now been blocked off by military and police personnel. There was speculation and fear that people may begin driving out of the city. With the lack of lighting on the bridges, it may just be chaos.

They also wanted to quarantine the problem. The government has been aware of the situation, but didn't expect it to escalate this quickly. The military was stationed on every highway and road that led away from San Fransokyo. Their mission was to kill any of the androids on sight. It lay in the police's hands to fix the situation while the military contained it.

* * *

><p>If you've heard of the 2003 Northeastern Blackout, this is something similar to what is happening. Power grid shutdowns and overall infrastructure failure is what happened, it was a very interesting event. I would think San Fransokyo would have a more advanced power grid, but it's still vulnerable in some form. Also, Honey's extended rocket launcher was an early stage concept in Big Hero 6. It would of been cool to see it used in the movie, but I guess there was other plans. I'll try to update quicker, but I'm on the road most of the time. I've been stopping to different places to write, it's been pretty fun to travel and write this story.<p> 


	18. Suppress

I forgot to mention this, but I did put reference photos of what Atlas and the Van Buren bots are supposed to look like. They're also on my profile. Anyway, we're so close to the end of this story! Well I think so, I won't say how close, but we're somewhere there. I just back home and I'm resting for the mean time. The chapter won't change for a while. But I'm currently deciding whether I should release another chapter after this one. Anyway, I hope you're all having a good week, if not, chin up my friends!

* * *

><p>Tadashi felt like his lungs would give out from running so much, he would much rather use his moped or drive. But he had neither of those things, so that left him with running. To say the least, he would say that he was a tad bit out of shape.<p>

The silhouette of Fred's house reached his view as he slowed down his furious trekking. It was hard to miss really, the house towered over its neighbors with a gentle pride. As he got closer, he minded his step as he jogged up to the door and pressed his hand against it.

It opened, making him almost stumble over himself. "Greetings mister Hamada." the butler greeted. Light emitted from his the candle he held near him, lighting up part of the area.

Tadashi looked up from his exhausted stupor and nodded to him, "Evening, Heathcliff."

The butler closed the door behind him and beckoned the tired man to follow. "It is quite an evening."

Tadashi fixed himself as he followed Heathcliff through the house, he tried not to stumble over any carpets or furniture. But without light, it was incredibly hard. The moon had been at a different angle, allowing little light to actually seep in from the front. It was irritating at first, but it would be like this for a while.

"It is quite an evening, I'd like it if I was actually prepared." He thanked Heathcliff after he led him to where the rest were. The butler led him to Fred's hobby and collection room. The door that would normally open without effort now stood ajar, just enough for a person to slip in.

The figures around Fred's collection room casted shadows that would scare the wits out of any child. Monsters, heroes, and villains all greeted him with the same unblinking stare. Under the odd lighting, the heroes and villains all looked the same. Five shadows around an emergency lantern greeted him as he slipped in through the space.

Hiro looked over his shoulder, "Took you long enough. You look like you ran a mile."

Tadashi nodded and ran a hand through his hair nervously. "Might as well have." he chuckled, walking over to the group. Honey grabbed the duffel bag from the corner and handed it to him.

"Everything is in there, bows and quivers. Hiro added some arrows that can release smoke." Honey noted.

"That's right, impact activated smoke arrows. As long you launch them hard enough, they'll activate. There's some knockout gas arrows too, be careful with that, you don't want to end up using them on yourself." Hiro added, looking over his shoulder again. Tadashi nodded and thanked Honey for bringing his equipment and went to change.

Movies made changing in and out of suits so easy to do, he found it so difficult to do so. If he ever had the chance to, he'd make some sort of chamber that would allow him to instantly change in and out of his suit.

"So what's the plan?" Tadashi asked as he walked back in. Hiro beckoned his brother to come over where his helmet sat next to his laptop.

Hiro held up a cord connected to the chip on his helm, "I'm uploading the program so I can just track it as we go."

"I'm surprised you got power still. Backup blocks?" Tadashi noted, fixing his wrist guards as he did so.

"Yeah, I always keep backup power blocks for my laptop." Hiro said as he unhooked the cord from the computer. He put his visor on and checked to make sure it was working. Tadashi looked around while the others checked over themselves. He stood in front of a few cases, trying to see the figures with whatever light he had left.

"Oh man, I forgot you've never seen this place! What do you think bro?" Fred beamed, standing next to him. Tadashi tilted his head, gently running a finger atop of one of the monster's head. "It's a pretty cool hobby Fred."

He didn't pick it up, that would be rude. But he was fascinated by the imagination of what people can come up with nowadays. "I knew you were into comics and monster flicks, but I didn't think you were into it that much." he smiled.

"First time we went in here, I was the same. I didn't think he was this much of a comic nut." Wasabi added, standing next to the other two. Fred picked up one of the monsters from his shelf and began to explain to him his origins and his powers.

Honey's hand gently landed on the right side of his arm, making him look over his shoulder. She beckoned him to come over and follow her. They stood in another part of the room, while the others hung around amongst one another.

"Can I see your bow?" she asked. Tadashi slipped the bow off his shoulders and handed it to the woman in curiosity. Honey took out a red string and tied it around the body just enough for it to dangle when held upright.

"What's this for?" the man inquired. She smiled and handed the bow back to him. "It's so you can tell where the wind is blowing when you're shooting an arrow from afar." Tadashi leaned over and kissed her forehead, she always had something up her sleeve.

"Thank you." Honey nodded with a bright look in her eyes, yet he could tell she was a bit uneasy. He hoped getting here wasn't hard for her at all, he would have walked with her just in case. "Do you remember where this is from?" she asked curiously.

Tadashi handled the small string in curiosity, what did she mean? It was a strong red string, short but enough to bind. He glanced up at Honey, who had amusement written all over her face. Then it came back to him like wind filling his lungs.

"You kept it?" he asked softly. Her green orbs picked up the smile that made his eyes burn bright up like a child. She bit the bottom of her lip and slowly nodded. "Why wouldn't I?" Tadashi looked around, he wanted to keep their conversation between the two of them. "How did you know it was me?" he wondered.

Honey shrugged, "I always knew."

The red string tied to his bow was the same string he had tied to his Valentine's Day present. It was his first year at SFIT and he had left his gift at Honey's lab. At the time he was too scared to even give it to her himself, even if they had been friends long before they entered SFIT.

"It was the writing and packaging, wasn't it?" he mused. "Yup, who else would wrap something so nicely with such a handwriting?" she teased. Tadashi secured his bow onto himself again and stifled a laugh, of course it was such a dead giveaway.

"Before we track the robots, let's take care of the city first. The prison is out of power, who knows what'll happen there." Hiro said.

He then turned to Fred, "You have the rebreathers right?"

"Hell yeah man, of course I do. I got dad's little undersea propeller thing too. Well it's in your backpack." Tadashi watched the two from afar, wondering what they were going on about. _'Rebreathers? Undersea?' _

Tadashi stepped forward, "We're going to be swimming?" Hiro nodded as he slipped his arms through his backpack. "Yep, we need to get on Black Dolphin and secure it. Otherwise we have a bigger problem in our hands." He trusted the law enforcement to do their job, but at the same time, they could only do so much.

* * *

><p>The team made their way out of the house and into the night. Hiro had so many gadgets that allowed him to scale buildings and move just as much as the rest of the team. It went from grappling hooks to rocket shoes.<p>

As they got closer to the Black Dolphin ferry dock, they could already see the flash or red and blue off the buildings nearby. The team scaled a building to get an overhead view of the secured area. It looked like the SWAT team was there as well.

Hiro could overhear some of the captains talking, he caught the words 'no communication' and 'silent'. He could only guess what was happening on the island.

"What're they doing?" Fred asked, peeking over the edge.

"They're loading onto a ferry, probably to secure the prison island." Wasabi answered. In order, the SWAT team began piling onto the ferry, it left the dock as soon as all of the team was on the boat. Any remaining individuals were left to guard the docks to let no one in or out of it.

"Follow me." Hiro left the ledge and began making his way around the dock. When they were far from the sight of the officers on duty, Hiro began handing out rebreathers. They had Krei Tech's symbol on it, he then recognized them as military grade, and the question was how Fred got them. At the same time, his blond haired friend surprised him every day.

"Please tell me this is new." Wasabi said, referencing the mouthpieces. "It's new, don't worry." Hiro chuckled, punching Wasabi's shoulder. He took out the undersea propeller from his backpack and began setting it up.

"So, I upgraded this propeller just for us. You guys should just hold onto each other while I steer, sounds good?" Tadashi wished that Baymax was here to take them, he'd never done this before. There was no hydrophobia or anything, he was just afraid of messing it up.

Once he was in the water and simply holding onto Honey's waist like a life preserver, he didn't mind so much. He was sure that if anyone was to see them now, they've bust out laughing. It looked comical, to have just a chain of people drifting through the water.

At the same time it was also unnerving, helicopters were flying above the bay, shining their bright beams onto the surface of the water. They were deep enough where it would practically be impossible to see the team from the helicopter.

It was pretty calming to easily glide through the water thanks to the jet propeller that Hiro fashioned. Although he wished it would actually go faster, he was starting to feel like he should just fall asleep from how relaxing it was to be down here. When they got closer to land, Hiro shut the contraption off and poked his head out of the water to see who was on the shore.

He could see the dark outline of the Black Dolphin prison tower over them, he could also hear the distant shouts and pops echo in the cold air. Their suits allowed them to stay as dry as possible, even Fred's suit had that technology. Tadashi really have that luxury. Hiro packed his propeller away and slipped the backpack on.

The others popped their head up slowly past the surface of the waves. Hiro motioned them to wait as he made his way onto the shore. The moon was at an angle that allowed them to be covered by the shadow of a guard tower. After he pressed himself beneath the bridge that led into the prison, he beckoned the others to follow after him.

"Put your rebreathers in here, we'll need it later." he said as he opened the backpack. The team put their equipment away and watched Hiro stow it away.

They froze when the sound of boots against the metal bridge resounded. It was the SWAT team moving in, they could hear some chatter. From what they got, the team inside couldn't take the rioting that was happening in the food court and courtyard. They were going to contain the courtyard riot first, afraid that they might break down the fencing around it.

The heavy footsteps slowly faded around the corner and eventually disappeared. "We're going to contain the mess hall riot while they work on the court yard." The team made their way onto the bridge and headed straight for the entrance. Their run slowed into a fast walk as they made their way through the main lobby.

"How do you know where we're going?" Tadashi asked curiously.

"You think I planned on walking in here blind?" Hiro smiled jokingly. Tadashi chuckled and patted his brother's back as they walked. His knuckles clenched around the grip of his bow, tensing up as they moved through the dark corridors. Each of the team members had flashlights but Tadashi, it was enough to illuminate what was in front of them and around them.

The air around them was ominous, something you would find in a horror game. It welcomed the unpredictable and speculation as to what was around the corner. Whatever would be around the corner was a surprise, this wasn't the kind of surprises the team liked. There were no prison guards anywhere, either they ran away or had been stuck behind a door. Even worse, they could have been killed. The lack of space made it even worse, there was little movement for any of them.

Tadashi's eyes caught the sign 'West Wing – Mess Hall' as they passed. Hiro fiddled with his gloves on his way to the first keypad. With the lack of electricity in the prison, the whole lock up system was broken. He felt bad for anyone who was stuck in the blackout behind the doors they were at now.

"Alright, let me work this." Hiro muttered, putting his gloves against the keypad. A 'bzzt' quietly resounded as the keypad flickered back to life.

"I could have just chopped it down." Wasabi offered. "Yeah but I wanted to do that for a long time." the teen said sheepishly. A small laugh escaped Wasabi's mouth, of course he would choose this time to experiment.

Hiro quickly punched in a code and watched the door open. As soon as it did, they heard the chanting and the shouting of the prisoners.

"Lights out." Hiro muttered, switching the flashlight off his helmet. The others did the same and allowed darkness to surround them again. Tadashi pulled out one of the blunt arrows he had, the ones that had a flat tip as a substitute. Its only purpose was to really inflict enough pain to the target momentarily so that he could get up close and take him down.

They followed Hiro closely with weapons drawn and eyes sharpened like knives. They saw the chaos that raged like hellfire from below, just watching it put them on edge. Beams of light from the flashlights searched the railings above like guard towers from below.

Tables were slowly being stacked on one another in an attempt to climb to the balcony they stood on. Prisoners were shoving and kicking anyone who disrupted the process.

The criminals of Black Dolphin were not only put there for their crimes, but also for that insane intelligence. They were capable of more than the average criminal could, this show of cooperation and orderly disorder was one of them. These were the types of people no one would want running amok San Fransokyo.

Scattered around the mess hall was a few jailers, some looked bloodied and beaten. Hiro was silently glad that there was no power to operate the door, it seemed that the jailers had their keycards stolen. He turned to Tadashi, who was watching the prisoners continue to try and lift table to table onto one another.

"I think it's time to use that knockout gas of yours, T." Hiro nudged. Without looking at his quiver, Tadashi quickly sorted through his arrows with his fingers until he found the right ones. Each of his arrows had a feel to the fletcher, something only he knew and was capable of identifying.

Like a natural, he nocked the projectile and drew the string in one swift motion. He waited for the right moment, to get as much victims as he could in one area. His form was perfectly etched in stone, it would even make a sculptor green with envy. In a single second, the arrow flew and smacked onto one of the tables.

Smoke began pouring out onto the prisoners that tried to climb and help the others. Profanities filled the air as the bodies of unconscious criminals fell onto the floor below. "One more." Tadashi armed himself again and watched the people scatter around from below. People talked over one another in an unholy verbal discord, trying to listen to everyone was completely impossible.

"Where did that come from?!" one of them screamed. "Check the balcony! Check the balcony!"

The flashlights now began to scan the platforms above for the culprit. Before they let the light fall on Tadashi, he let another arrow loose. It landed right at the feet of the rest of the conscious prisoners and expelled the gas. "Cover your noses!"

"Don't breathe it – " Flashlights fell to the floor as the bodies began to drop one by one. Tadashi beckoned the others to step away from the rails that held them back.

"It might waft up here, wait for a few minutes." The noise in the mess hall diluted to soft groans from below, until it finally settled into a soft silence. Hiro stepped forward and looked down at the piles of unconscious prisoners.

"How long will that last?" Tadashi asked.

"The gas? About an hour and a half." Hiro stated. The bowman moved past Hiro and headed down towards the stairs that descended into where the unconscious prisoners are. "What are you doing?" Hiro asked.

"We need to cuff these prisoners or something before they wake up, otherwise what's the point?" Tadashi called. He was careful where he stepped, there was little to no light that could guide him. The edge of a desk stuck out in front of him, unfortunately he was too late to dodge.

"Oof!" Tadashi slammed his pelvis right into the edge and landed on his knees. It was truly unfortunate. "What happened?!" Hiro shouted, turning his flashlight on. The rest did the same and made their way down. The young Hamada sighed in relief when he saw his brother hunched over, holding his hip.

"Did you really just – "

"Shut up it was dark." Tadashi hissed. He picked himself up from the floor and gripped the edge of the desk. The others came up behind him and shined the light upon what was actually a barricade. Out of irritation, Tadashi drew his bow and kicked in the desks. It came down with loud clatter and some yelps from the other side.

"Please! Don't!" a man screamed. They shined their flashlights past the barricade to see two bloodied jailers on the floor. They held up their hands and shook from fright. "Survivors." Tadashi muttered.

"We're not here to hurt you, it's us, Big Hero 6." For now they were Big Hero 6, until Baymax recovered.

They dimmed their lights so it wasn't so blinding to the poor jailers who slowly lowered their hands from their faces. They nodded slowly, recognizing the five heroes except Tadashi. "W-who're you suppose to be? You're not the r-robot." one of them stuttered.

Tadashi stepped forward, "An addition. Now I need to know how many hand cuffs you have."

One of the men stood up and wiped the blood off his brow. "I'm not sure. I'm new here. They're all in the armory – "

"Take us to the armory then." Tadashi cut in. "I can't just do that!" the young man blabbered. The kitsune bowman stepped closer, "What are you going to do when those prisoners wake up? I'm sure they'll eventually get out." The jailer's mouth opened but no sound came out, he quickly closed his mouth and beckoned them to follow.

"Was that necessary?" Hiro pointed out quietly. Tadashi grunted in reply, "You need to apply some force in a conversation sometimes." It didn't sound like much of a conversation in Hiro's mind, but he knew his brother's methodology was different than his now.

Despite going through that small treatment, Hiro knew there were sharp fragments of his temper left behind. He had a lot of patience for his friends and family, however he was sometimes quick to anger around anyone else.

They were led to the armory, where they spotted the boxes of handcuffs were left. Each of the team members carried a box and made their way down towards the main mess hall. The two jailers followed after the heroes to help lock the criminals up.

Hiro put his hand over the keypad and sent another jolt, "Could you open then up?" The jailer clambered over as he held his side and began punching in his code. After the heavy gate clicked open, they began taking the cuffs in. Hiro wondered how the SWAT team was faring, he knew that the majority of the criminals were in the courtyard anyway.

The team began cuffing each and every single one of the unconscious prisoners. They propped most of them upright out of some decency. Tadashi and Wasabi hauled the wounded guards out of the main hall and towards the platforms.

Tadashi came back to help the others after laying the other employees to the side. He grabbed some cuffs and walked towards an overturned body. He grabbed a flashlight from the floor and shined it onto him.

He turned it over and immediately froze, it was Robert Callaghan. He looked like he was at peace, as if he had died. Oh how Tadashi wished he would have.

Did he?

The flashlight was lowered on the floor again and the beam was turned away from Callaghan's face.

Tadashi's hands instinctively wrapped around his neck and had an urge to push against his esophagus. One push was all he needed to break the man's windpipe. By this time, a sweltering rage was boiling up in his heart. The man he trusted as his teacher and mentor caused him this much pain.

The burns on his face and the time he spent away from the ones he loved destroyed him. It shattered him, here he was slowly picking up the pieces of the mess he created.

Time healed all wounds, right? Why didn't it heal his? Should he be feeling this angry at a man who was already paying his dues in prison? His parents always taught him to forgive and forget, but it was difficult. He clenched his jaw as his hands began to tremble from the battle he fought in his mind and heart. Tadashi's eyes closed as he felt his throat close up. He remember what his mother had told him.

"_Be calm. Let go."_

His fingers slowly lifted from the man's neck.

"_Loosen your grip and open your palms. It's over now."_

The palms of his hand lifted from his neck and he turned it to look at them. _'Relax.' _He grabbed the cuffs and slapped them on Robert's wrists. Tadashi sat him upright and grabbed the flashlight off the floor. The fire was still there, it lingered in his heart. He had a temper, a deeply rooted temper.

It was a chained beast that has lurked in the depths of his heart, over the years he's fed it. It was ready to break free, all he needed to do was give in. It was easier to do so. But why give up now when he's come so far? Tadashi took in a deep breath to let the air come in through the holes and cracks in his chest just so that he knew it wasn't just a cavern.

The last cuffs were placed around the hands of the remaining prisoners. It was a tedious process, but the team managed to do it in time.

"Stay safe, the police will be here soon, okay?" Hiro assured, gripping the jailer's shoulders. They had no medical remedies to help the man, Baymax wasn't here. The team ended up leaving the building for time's sake, they still had other quotas to fill.

"We're going to start tracking that signal now. We'll leave the rest to the SWAT." Hiro stated, making his way down towards the bridge. He hopped down onto the sandy shores and looked for his stowed backpack. Hiro opened his bag and held it out in front of them. "Grab the rebreathers."

Tadashi cursed under his breath, remembering that no one knows who's was who's. "This is terrible." Wasabi groaned.

"What?" Hiro frowned. "I don't know which one is mine!" he exclaimed. Gogo elbowed him sharply, "You're too loud!"

Fred grabbed one from the bag and simply put it in his mouth. Then he took it out, "This taste like sushi." Wasabi put his hands over his mouth and made a gagging noise.

"I'm sorry but if you don't grab one, you'll have to swim back. Or just drown." Hiro said to the others. Tadashi grabbed one and simply got it over with. The rest of the team didn't look at each other until they landed on the shores of San Fransokyo.

Tadashi ripped his out of his mouth and spit onto the floor. "Kill me." he mumbled, walking ahead of the others. He got a mouthful of Cheese Curly-Qs. There was only one man who ate those chips, their very own comic book geek. "Gum?" Gogo offered.

"Yes please." he groaned. Tadashi took the piece of gum and shoved it in his mouth. Honey and the others were holding in their laughter at the poor man. "What happened in the water stays in the water." Hiro said, making his way past the group.

"Agreed." Tadashi sighed. He hoped Honey would let him steal a kiss later. He shivered as the cold wind blew against his face. The others ended up being drier than he had been, he soaked up the water like no tomorrow. "Sorry about the lack of water repellent in your armor. I'm still working on it." Hiro said sheepishly.

Tadashi playfully punched his brother's shoulder, "It's not a problem little brother. I can take this." If he could take fire, he could take water.

Hiro fumbled with his visor, making sure that everything was working. The screen eventually lit up with the normal interface and greeted the user. Now it was the moment of truth. Hiro's eyes watched as the program in his helmet began to read the Atlas chip.

'_Atlas Program Uploaded' _

A small smile came over his face, it was hard not to smile. Everything he's done up to now was achieved. He stood up and beckoned the others as the map came up in the corner of his eyes. "I got a signal, it's working." Hiro said, brushing the sand from his pants.

"Be prepared. We don't know what's going to be there when we arrived." the teen warned. Six figures moved silently through the blackened city while the moon watched them from above.

* * *

><p>I wish I could draw out the Black Dolphin prison, because I feel like I didn't describe it well enough. But I pictured the interior as something standard, except it's a maximum security facility. I was also so close to having Callaghan confront Tadashi as an escapee and get killed as the alternate event. But that would be no fun. Tadashi is a bit more tamed than he was when he first reunited with the group, but that doesn't completely dismiss his deeply rooted anger. It's safe to say that I made him somewhat of a morally gray character in my story.<p>

* If there's some confusion as to what rebreathers actually do, they recycle CO2 from what the user exhales. Since they have fairly advanced technology in the time of BH6, I figured a portable rebreather would exist. They're awfully big in today's modern times, but I would certainly hope they made them for smaller use. That's the basics of a rebreather though. If you have any questions or even suggestions, feel free to message me or even just leave it down there.


	19. Unchained

Hey there, I'm sorry for the lagging release of this chapter. I took so long partly due to my doubts about this chapter. I've tweaked in multiple times and have debated whether I should scrap it or release it. It's a chapter that I've been battling myself with for multiple reasons, I won't say why. But I was just overall very hesitant in releasing this one, it took me almost two days to make up my mind. Hehe However, that's all I have to say.

* * *

><p>Following him was fairly easy, at first the signal was static, eventually the picture cleared. Hiro immediately knew that something was interfering with their signal.<p>

"It's leading me to one of Van Buren's facilities." Why? Hiro used his grappling hook launcher to pull himself atop a building. He stopped and continued to watch the screen on his visor. It didn't look right, it shouldn't be there. At least that's what he was thinking.

He knew that this massive facility was also where Krei Tech Industries had one of their portal assembly lines. It was the mainland base, till they usually transported it to the island for testing. _'I guess it wouldn't be too bad of a place to hide something.'_

"That's the receiving end." he pointed. His finger led to a factory with Van Buren's logo on it. Tadashi used his mask to zoom in towards the building. It was hard to see due to the lack of light, right now it wasn't operational. "How can the receiving end be there? There's a blackout." Tadashi muttered. Hiro jogged backwards and got a running start.

"Well let's find out." He ran towards the edge of the roof and leapt across to the other rooftop. The others followed suite, getting closer and closer to the facility by the minute. Once they got close enough, they could see guards patrolling the area.

What was worse was it was Van Buren's M5s at the door, his very own robotic police. The only good part was that they were facing away from their direction. It seemed that they were keeping their eyes on the facility, rather than the outside.

"How're we suppose to get past those things? You see what they can do?" Wasabi asked quietly. Hiro unhooked the Atlas chip from his helmet and tucked it away. He didn't want to go in loud, it would just be reckless.

"Tadashi, you think you can hit two birds with one stone?" Hiro asked softly. His brother made a small noise and watched the robots from afar. He unclenched his jaw and nodded slowly. Hiro watched him quietly get up and find another vantage point. Tadashi silently hopped from building to building until he found both of the robots in line with one another.

He pulled an extendable arrow from his quiver and slowly let its body grow in length. The others watched from afar, they knew how accurate he needed to be. Tadashi nocked the arrow and pointed it towards the two robots. He had tied a red string on his bow to watch which way the wind was blowing.

Crouched and frozen in place, the older man waited for the right moment. His posture didn't budge for one second except for when he began to slowly pull the string back. The microbots in his legs were perfect, allowing his leg to lock into place without a second thought.

In that moment he froze himself. His eyes looked for their cracks in the armor, looking for weaknesses he could use. Finally, he saw his opening.

Be calm. Relax.

Be patient. _Inhale_.

Be diligent. _Exhale_.

_Wait_ said the red string.

_Go_ said the red string. Let go.

The arrow flew from his grip as if the handler had just released his collar and was now free to sink its teeth into the closest thing. Sparks flew as soon as the teeth reached the heart of the first enforcer, then more escaped into the air as the arrow reached the second robot. With a light thud, the M5s fell forward onto their faces and ceased to move.

"Nice." whispered Hiro in his com link. Tadashi stayed frozen until his breath returned and his tunnel vision dissipated. His bow slowly lowered and the support on his legs unlocked. "You good?"

Tadashi sighed in relief, "I feel good." There was something satisfying about watching the arrow fly and accurately hit his target. He joined the others near the back of the factory and followed them through the loading bay.

It was filled with crates and boxes piled high to the ceiling. It seemed like there was another city in thie factory from just the towering items. "The signal stopped here. I couldn't get anything more than that. I suggest we look around."

"If someone comes by?" Honey asked.

"Hide. There's enough cover to go around." Hiro answered. They split ways and began searching the factory up and down. There were a few rooms each of the team found, however they all ended up being just as empty as the rest.

Gogo slid around the factory, she jumped over a set of fallen pipes and landed. _Thunk. _That was odd. She looked down at the floor beneath her discs and jumped again. _Thunk. _It sounded like metal, but it gave off a hollow sound. There was something underneath her feet. Gogo slowly slid away from it and began brushing her fingers around for any cracks.

Her hand finally felt the thinnest slit possible in the world, she followed it and began tracing her hand along. When she finished, she realized that it was a large rectangle. Gogo looked around the area for any console for her to fiddle with, but found none. "Guys, come to me. I found something."

In a matter of seconds, the team was standing around her. "Er – what? There's nothing here." Fred stated. Gogo pointed at the ground and crossed her arms over her chest. "There's something under here." She took her foot and gently slammed it against the ground.

They immediately heard the hollow sound, making Hiro quite excited. "Where's the thing to open it?"

Gogo shrugged, "I couldn't find it. Why not just have Honey use something to corrode the metal?" Honey nodded and made all of them step back at a good distance. Fingers deftly worked their magic and produced two chemical explosives for the chemist. She underhandedly tossed them one by one and watched them spread over the surface. The liquid began to collapse in, the metal was corroding.

They waited, till the chemical deactivated and allowed them to step in it. "Another door?" Fred said in confusion. This time it was more formal, the door looked like something of a military bunker. There was no need for this kind of thick steel. There was no need unless there was a secret to keep.

Honey made two more of her chemical corrosives and then tossed them at the door. The substances began to eat away at the metal slowly. While it did this, the team got into position for whatever was behind that door. Bow drawn, blades beamed, and arms raised as the metal slowly began to open.

When it finally did, they were greeted by an empty corridor that winded out of their view. Light dimly lit the hall, beckoning them to come in. They moved in together slowly, taking note of every crevice and shadow that crossed their vision.

As they got closer and closer to another light source, they began to question who was truly responsible. Glass doors greeted them, but they could see what was inside already. Rows upon rows sat Atlas robots. All of their eyes stared at the empty space ahead of them. At the middle sat a man in black, who glanced up and down a monitor.

From what they could see, it was the whole grid of San Fransokyo. Dots that moved slowly across the map represented the active clones. Tadashi took his mask off and followed Hiro as the boy stepped closer. The glass door opened with a slight whirr, making the man at the console stop and look up.

He whipped around and immediately saw the faces of the team, fear slipped into his eyes as he realized he had been compromised. "Quite a surprise." the older man mumbled. His amber eyes fell upon one particular face, Tadashi's. The twenty one year old met eyes with the man and immediately felt his jaw tighten.

"Tadashi." he greeted as if he was a long lost friend. "Oliver." The name tumbled from his lips like sandpaper. He felt the eyes of his teammates land on him, he didn't meet any of their gazes. Oliver stepped away from the console and gestured as if he was welcoming them. "I don't get visitors often, but I'm sure you're here for the robots."

Hiro narrowed his eyes and watched Oliver walk to one side of the room. "Congratulations in making it here. But I'm afraid they've already served their purpose." Oliver smiled. His eyes landed on Tadashi and he lightly gestured to him.

"But you, haven't." he smiled lightly. Tadashi stepped away from the group and took a step towards Oliver. "Hold on there, my friend. Be careful where you step. That doesn't mean I can't activate all of them."

His shoulders began to shake and his breathing became heavily noticeable. Repressed rage slowly began leaking out from all of the years he's spent with the Inigawas.

Oliver was the main reason he became who he was. How do you make a free animal obedient? You break it. That's exactly what Oliver did as the head of the Syndicate's weapons branch. "I can tell, you're quite upset. It's been how long, more than a year since we saw one another?" Tadashi's hands curled into fists.

"You've changed. You're no longer on two wheels." he noted. The man didn't reply, he eyed him as if he was a lion ready to pounce. Tadashi took a step and Oliver drew his gun. The team moved forward but Oliver quickly stated, "Nah uh. Move another inch and he'll eat a bullet."

They all froze and their eyes volleyed back and forth between the men. Oliver slowly approached Tadashi with his barrel still pointed between his eyes. "I should have killed you when I had the chance." Tadashi muttered, his brown eyes full of hatred. His voice dripped with venom and malice, something in him triggered. He could feel it too himself, the chains had slipped off.

"Should have. But you didn't." Oliver smiled. He made Tadashi move farther away from the team with the gun at his head. "You didn't. Which was why you were one of my greatest successes." The twenty one year old moved with the man as his hostage. This was exactly what he wanted Oliver to do.

"Your service is valued at the Syndicate. I'm sure you're well aware of that. But you still have a contract, which you violated. No contact for months with the Syndicate is a red flag. I have to hand it to you, you hide well." Oliver muttered, continuing to push the man to the farthest side of the large android housing.

"You're due for service termination, Tadashi. Do you know that?" Tadashi calmly nodded. He could now hear Hiro's voice talking to him in his com link. But he didn't reply to him. He had left their line of sight.

Oliver brought the gun right to his forehead and looked him in the eye. In the Syndicate, it was customary to kill your target in the eye if possible. They always wanted to be the last thing the person ever saw. The mobster then gestured to his hands, "Up." He slowly raised his hands to his head.

Be calm. Relax.

"Thank you for your work."

Be patient. Inhale.

Be resolute. Exhale.

His hands were exactly where he wanted it to be. In a matter of seconds, the barrel of the gun was pushed away from the owner's hand and tilted. This caused the finger on the trigger to break, making Oliver cry out. At the same time, Tadashi's hand had landed on his outstretched wrist. He turned the barrel of the gun and pointed it at Oliver's face.

In that moment he saw the same expression he's seen over a dozen times, fear. Oliver didn't want to die, but so did those other people. _"Loosen your grip and open your palm. It's over. Know that this will pass like any other day."_ He stared the murderer down with steely eyes, was it really over?

"It's over." he said out loud, returning his finger on the trigger. By this time, his other hand had a firm grip upon the man's neck. Oliver's eyes sealed themselves as he grabbed at his bicep.

"Ironic how you're in the same spot as the people you killed." he softly muttered. The man attempted to kick, but his squirming ended up putting more pressure on his neck. "Look at me in the eyes."

Oliver slowly cracked his eyes open and met Tadashi's light brown ones. It was of a gentle brutality, one that offered forgiveness after penance. Behind his lens was a vengeful enigma, fed by repressed anger and internal strife. He was a man who was constantly stepping between his morals and malicious intent.

_Go_ said the red string. Let go.

One resounding shot echoed through the room, one sound that ripped through everyone's chest. Then, warm liquid ran down his face, a smoking gun cooled and some seconds ticked on. The body slumped at his grip and slowly sank to the ground. At this point, he could hear the others come around.

"Tadashi! Stop!" Hiro screamed. came close and tackled Tadashi to the ground. The gun clattered to the floor and the man he shot laid in his own blood. "What the hell is wrong with you!?" Hiro shouted, grabbing the collar of his brother.

Tadashi looked unfazed, his blood covered face arched a brow in response. "What?"

"You killed him! You shot him." Hiro said furiously. He didn't expect him to do that, Tadashi was the last person he thought would ever kill a person voluntarily. He grabbed Hiro's wrists and forcefully pushed them off him. "You didn't need to kill him." Tadashi used his sleeve to wipe the blood off his face as he pulled himself up off the ground.

"I did. I needed to. You don't know how good I feel." Hiro looked at his brother as if he failed to recognize him. His startled stare met his older sibling's composed expression, something triggered him. It might have been Oliver himself and whatever memories he had associated with his face. Hiro didn't know, he felt sick to the stomach after seeing what Tadashi executed.

"I'd do it again." Tadashi said casually. He broke his eyes from Hiro and saw the look on his friend's faces. He felt his chest tighten when his eyes met Honey's. It was something mixed with fear and doubt. She looked frozen, he could tell by the way her hands curled around the strap of her purse.

She realized what she was doing and broke her dazed expression, she bit the bottom of his lips and stepped forward.

"Tadashi, do you even understand what I'm saying? You killed a human being." his brother whispered, as if he was forcing it out. They were heroes, they weren't killers. Whenever they went after criminals, it was always to subdue them, not take their life. However after Hiro said that, Tadashi's face twisted into something close to disgust.

"I didn't kill a human being. He wasn't human to begin with." he snarled at him. A sharp inhale and defiant stance brought him a step closer to his brother. "I watched him kill people! I had to! I refused to help them, so they had to break me."

He stepped even closer to the teen, "They did. They broke me. That man broke me. He bound me to my wheelchair and forced me to watch him kill innocent fathers and sons who owed the Inigawas. People who didn't deserve to die!" His voice fluctuated as if thunder stormed through the heavens looking for a release. He stopped to catch himself.

Honey's hand landed on his arm with a firm grip, she was afraid he might hurt his own brother. But he didn't, instead he decided to reveal everything that's happened to him since his disappearance. The reason for his brazen and erratic attitude.

The words he said felt like knives that were being pulled out of his throat. It felt like pressure against his bleeding wound. It would always be that way. Time doesn't heal all wounds. Sometimes time it lets it bleed.

"Every time I had to watch, he was there. He was there. They begged and pleaded. They didn't want to die. I didn't want them to die." he choked. His voice cracked as if thunder struck the ground to etch itself into the earth. Hiro opened his mouth, speechless and stunned.

He stepped away from his younger brother and fixed his posture, carrying himself with a self-righteous dignity. "Face front, look into their eyes and show them what where true death lies. That's what they always said. They made them look me in the eyes."

"I tried to comfort them. That everything will pass. Hiro – " Tadashi ran his hand through his sweat matted hair. He sharply inhaled and blinked furiously, as if the memories were clawing their way out of his chest.

"One a week. Families who still don't know what happened to their loved ones. And I let it happen. I was a coward at the time, those people who died had more courage than I did. I closed my eyes while they raised their head." he seethed, beating his chest twice.

Hiro looked concerned for his brother, this was the final breaking point of him. But why? He didn't understand why Tadashi needed to kill. "Why Oliver?" he asked softly. He was well aware of where he was stepping.

"If I killed him myself, the memories would disappear. Those faces would fade and it would be clear as day." He began stepping back and stooped down to grab his mask from the floor. Careless and foolish, but he felt no closure in seeking support from his loved ones. "And that's what I'm going to do."

Tadashi slowly backed away from them, shaking his head. Faces, voices, and gunshots all became too vivid to him. They were his ghosts, his fears, and his nightmares all at once. Fathers who had families and sons who were only in their teens. It was all too real to him, too recent.

"Tadashi, I can help you." Hiro slowly said, walking towards his brother. Tadashi shook his head even more and said bitterly. "No, not this time Hiro. I'll fix this myself." He knew what he would do. Tadashi would erase the very thing that haunted him to this day, he would go and individually break the pieces so he wouldn't have to deal with it anymore.

He slipped his mask on and made a run for the entrance. "Tadashi!" He didn't turn around as he exited the underground bunker and entered the night. He would kill as many of them as he could, as many as he needed to feel satisfied. No more living in the shadows of the Syndicate. No more being pursued.

No more.

* * *

><p>"He was forced to watch people get killed?" Honey asked softly, her eyes passing over the dead man. It was hard to believe, but at the same time, the underground crime world was full of other horrors. When she looked him in the eyes, she immediately saw something in him change.<p>

Hiro stared at the door from where Tadashi ran from. He didn't know.

He didn't make a sound, what would he even say? Hiro looked over his shoulder at his forlorn and tired teammates. One problem at a time. "Let's gather information from that console and then get rid of this place."

The team slowly nodded, no one else said a word as they followed the young Hamada. He pushed away his doubts, he was going to finish what he started. Hiro sat at the console, slowly typing away until he found what he needed. There were correspondence between the Inigawas and Van Buren Manufacturing it seemed. He continued to read and began to finally piece together what was happening. There was a connection between the corporate behemoth and the bloodthirsty mob family.

"Van Buren paid the Inigawas to do this?" Gogo mumbled, her eyes watching the screen. Hiro silently nodded, continuing to read.

"But why?" Fred asked. Why would a big company be in contact with the yakuza? "It was something along the lines of a PR move. There was just no way that they were going to have people cause chaos. They needed something disposable at will."

Honey stepped closer and read beside Hiro. Her eyes skimmed the page lightly, then her eyes stopped over the name 'Hiro Hamada'.

"Van Buren wanted to show how incapable the normal police were in this day in age. In order to do that, make criminals that the police wouldn't be able to handle. The M5s were the only ones that could handle them. They would then begin to sell not only in San Fransokyo, but around the nation. He used the city as a catalyst to bolster his business."

It was sickening to read, the fat cats of San Fransokyo thought of it as that disposable. It was not only a business move, but the ushering of a different age. The boys in the blue will become the robots in white. Van Buren would be at the forefront of this age to ensure that nothing like this happened in other parts of the world. But first they needed to make an example.

Hiro stopped reading and downloaded all the files onto a memory stick. He pushed himself away and stepped back, "Honey, you know what to do." The blonde nodded and her purse extended into a launcher as they backed away. She began making explosives till she was finally far enough.

Honey then launched a series of bombs at the rows and rows of robots, then finally at the console. Then she turned around and ran away with the rest of the team. Explosions could be heard from behind as the chemicals continued to react in deadly unison.

Waiting for them outside of the underground bunker was a four person team of M5s. The team froze as the robots pointed their guns at them. "Freeze!" one of them spoke. Its voice sounded robotic, but it had a human touch to it, something similar to Baymax's voice. The team didn't move a muscle as the M5s slowly walked closer.

"What do we do?" Gogo asked in the com chat. "Disarm them literally." Hiro mumbled quietly. As soon as they were close, they sprang into action. Wasabi's blades ate through two of the arms, Gogo's disc crippled another by bending it from the force, Fred's fire melted off another's while melting part of its body in the process, and Honey and Hiro twisted another to the point of breakage.

To fully destroy the M5s, the team backed away from the armless enforcers and let Honey take care of it. She loaded three chemical shells and bombarded the crippled enforcers until they stopped operating.

Fred stepped forward, looking around, "Now what?"

Hiro cleared out his screen and tried to contact Tadashi. _'Reception Terminated' _flashed in his sight, indicating that his brother destroyed the device. He checked the tracking for each of them and found his missing, he had gotten rid of that too. He stepped out into the night with the others in tow, wondering what the boy had next.

"We get rid of Van Buren. But we can't just present documents. We need video footage and even sound." he said confidently. The team hopped atop the roof of the factory and watched Hiro point towards the silhouette of the skyscraper. "We give him a visit. But first, I need to look at these documents."

"How are we going to get up there?" Wasabi frowned, there was no way he would scale a building. He hated heights. "I'll get Baymax operational again." he smiled weakly. With the lack of power, it felt impossible at the same time.

"My house has a generator, but it's the old bicycle ones if you don't mind." Fred informed. The team pitched in to head back to Fred's home and aid Hiro. Of course they were worried about Tadashi, but at the same time, they were so close.

(line)

They moved the generator into the workstation and hooked it up to the power cell Hiro had. Fred had ranted on about his relatives who had own the home previously all were very old fashioned people. There were a few minor hiccups as they began assembling it all, but got it running under an hour.

"So there's four of us. Are we all just going to be biking?" Wasabi frowned, stepping onto one of them.

Hiro nodded as he hooked one power cell to boot his computer. He then hooked the other one to the tool station so he could use the torch. "Two on computer duty. The other two will be on the torch."

Gogo smirked, this was going to be so easy for her. She lived and breathed biking, this was also like practice anyway. As for the others, they were a bit more skeptical, safe to say.

Fred and Wasabi began pedaling to power up the power tools. While Honey and Gogo worked on the computer. Hiro went straight to work, reassembling the power station according to the plans on the computer screen. Diligently, he made no room for error and no room for small talk. It was slowly becoming quite a long night.

"My legs are burning!" Fred whined. The blond man slumped against the handles as he continued to pedal away. Wasabi looked like he was ready to fall over and pass out. The women on the other hand were simply chatting away.

"It's only been an hour." Gogo remarked, snapping her gum. Honey nodded, fixing her hair into a bun. The boys groaned and tried to get a grip on reality, Hiro made sure to actually get them water and food as they worked. The teen ran his hand through his hair and tested out the station. "Baymax's port is done, I just need to actually fix him."

"How long will that take?" Wasabi groaned. Hiro cleared his throat and looked at the watch on the wall.

"Maybe another hour or two. I have all the parts and vinyl. I just need to actually assemble it on him." He smiled after he heard a groan from both of his friends. Amusement was something he needed right now, he felt like the world was crushing his shoulders. Life goes on and so he knew he had to as well.

The team stopped to rest and Hiro used the remaining energy they had accumulated to do the rest of the work. He smiled as he saw the four of them all slumped together on the couch asleep. They earned it anyway, he didn't want to exhaust them further. The vinyl became hard to replace, Baymax looked patchier than he had been before.

Like a toymaker, Hiro meticulously made sure there were no defects or other mistakes in Baymax. His painstaking effort wasn't simply for making sure Baymax properly worked, it was out of the brotherly care he had for the robot. Of course Baymax took care of him, but the robot still learned from Hiro. They shared the responsibility of one another, the teen was his patient, but he was also his mentor.

With the final check finished, Hiro began putting everything away carefully. Minimizing the noise he made was what he wanted to do before he ended bursting into excitement. Reactivating Baymax felt like Christmas all over again, he already missed his friend's voice. Taking the new chip from the table, he scooted himself beside the deflated robot.

Hiro carefully picked him up and placed him in his new charging station. _Beep. _It was working, a swell of pride inflated in Hiro's chest as he tapped the 'heart' of his companion. The slot opened and he carefully reinserted the program chip. Gently, he pushed against the edge of the object and waited. A whirr kicked in as the vinyl slowly expanded to form his body and arms again.

A minute passed as he stared at the unmoving robot. _Beep. Beep. _A pair of black circles met Hiro's and then fluttered quickly.

"Hello, Hiro." The teen shot forward and embraced the robot as if he hadn't seen him in forever. Baymax tilted his head before leaning over and hugging the boy back. A hug was what he needed after what happened a few hours ago. He was exhausted. "You fixed him." a sleepy Fred slurred.

The team groggily lifted their heads to see the nurse bot up and operational. A few weary smiles were shared between all of them, glad that part of the team was returned. Baymax's head bobbed up and down, scanning each of the members for their health status.

"Everyone seems to be suffering from fatigue and neural levels have plummeted more than average. What seems to be the trouble?" the nurse asked. Hiro patted his arm and shook his head tiredly. "We've got work to do is all I can say. Everyone is just tired from what happened in the last few hours. You should charge up too. We'll fill you in when morning comes."

Baymax studied him for a moment till he complied and began to charge himself. Hiro walked over to the couch and squeezed in between the others. Everyone seemed to be too debilitated to head home, it was dangerous to head home in the blackout anyway. Heathcliff came in with a blanket and carefully placed it around them.

Even heroes needed to rest.

* * *

><p>I hope this isn't too big of a "wtf" moment. I was tossing around the ideas of character conflicts and I don't know if I've made it clear enough, but Tadashi does have "Person vs. Self" thing going. I guess you could call Oliver some sort of device to the story, I wanted to have him as a major antagonist and actually flesh him out, but my reasoning for him has escaped me for this moment. I still considered Callaghan an antagonist in this story, but I was more forgiving with him. I'm not excusing his actions, but he is a man who is paying his dues.<p>

On the other hand, Oliver has yet to really pay up and his motives, it just happened to be that his payment came much more harshly. His motives are also nothing short of malicious. But I would say that Tadashi has a battle with himself. He's progressed, yes, but I feel that he still has to tackle his own demons on his own now. To me, I think it's a far greater victory at times. People can be their own worst enemies at times, especially those driven by a lot of pent up anger. Or something like that. I could go on, but I don't want to make this section a story, but I'm always open to discuss it more.


	20. Resolve

Bit of a hard chapter to write, I had gotten particularly under the weather during this. Forgive me if something doesn't make sense.

* * *

><p>A hand gently shook Hiro's shoulder once. Then twice. Once more. Then finally, "Hiro!" A female voice shocked him out of his deep slumber. It was the girl with the purple streak in her hair, his friend Gogo. She looked just as groggy as he did.<p>

Hazy eyes stared at the black haired woman for a few seconds, till it wandered around the room as if he didn't recognize it. "What time is it?" he croaked slowly. His lips and throat were dry and he felt like he just had bricks laying upon his chest. "About nine in the morning."

Gogo stood up and went back to the others who sat around the work station. They all looked like they just woke up from a bad hangover._ 'Nine already?'_ He sighed and rubbed the fatigue from his eyes. The teen hesitantly pushed himself from the couch and dragged his feet to the table. Getting up alone felt like gravity was pulling him to the ground.

"Good morning Hiro." Honey greeted wearily. He noticed that her eyes were red, they were puffy. From what? It took a while for his brain to process that she had been crying. A pang of guilt stabbed at his heart, he could only guess it had something to do with Tadashi.

"Morning." he smiled, trying to lighten the atmosphere. All of them were burned out in almost every possible way. They all sat in silence, drinking the coffee that Heathcliff came by with. Hiro leaned his face against his palm and propped his elbow against the table. "The power is back by the way." Wasabi chimed in.

This made Hiro's brown eyes spark to life as he then pushed himself away from the table. He ran to the TV and turned it on, he switched it to SFNN. Just as he suspected, it was covering the blackout.

'_Van Buren's M5s Successfully Quell the Rampant Droids'_

'_No Sign of "Atlas" Owner Hiro Hamada'_

The others watched the TV from afar, closely listening to what they had to say. Baymax 'woke up' from his slumber and fully turned his head in curiosity. His eyes landed on the TV as well, slowly gathering information about the blackout.

"_It was a risk. To trust the M5s to do what they were meant to do. But you know what? It was a risk for the greater good and it worked. Those robots were taken down within hours after the M5s were released. They also stopped a few riots and crimes in the process. I call that a success."_ the mayor spoke to the press.

Hiro grimaced, this was no good, and Van Buren was already making his move. He continued to watch the press meeting with the mayor of San Fransokyo.

"_Will they be implemented anytime soon?"_

The mayor fixed the mic and leaned in_, "Slowly. Not abruptly. The M5s will start working alongside our boys. In the recent light of this incident, we're going to make sure the M5s continue to patrol for anymore Atlas robots."_

The blackout was over, but the city was still trying to get a grip on itself. The military had begun to move out of the city and turned it over to the police. These things didn't happen in a day, it happened in a span of three weeks after the blackout. Hiro realized he couldn't just go gung-ho at Van Buren, the man surely was expecting him after raiding the bunker.

It was a waiting game for now, but Hiro had taken his leisure time and read the documents he had taken from the underground hold out. Bits and pieces of information slowly formed the bigger piece of the picture, there was something far more sinister behind making the Striker M5s widespread. Michael Van Buren in fact wasn't who everyone thought he was, he's been working with the Syndicate for years.

It went all the way back to the Callaghan incident. He needed Krei Tech Industries to face scrutiny and eventually leave the city, of course they needed to shed light on the human experiments. The Syndicate already knew Callaghan was wanting revenge, aid was given to him for it, to ensure that he got as far as he could with his plan. What pushed the plan further was when Hiro saved Abigail Callaghan, proving the failure of Krei Tech's experiments true.

But why all this trouble to have his robotic enforcers sell? Political spite was the catalyst for it all. Van Buren was in the politics business a long time ago, he was on his way for presidential candidacy. It wasn't until his last run when the party made a conscious choice to pick Shinji Yamada over him.

After putting so much money into his own campaign, it ruined him afterwards.

His company went under for a while, till it was revitalized. He became a robotics company as a supplier for the military. Yamada lost against his opponent, but became mayor of San Fransokyo in a few years' time. Since then, he's held the seat up until now. Michael saw this as an opportunity to get back at the man after all these years of struggle.

He would pull off one of the biggest political assassination in history, killing Yamada on television during the city's commemoration of San Fransokyo's founders. It would take more time, but Hiro read that the androids had a 'kill code' where traces of malicious coding would be wiped after the event.

No evidence of implemented programming would be tied back to Van Buren, it would just be called an 'unfortunate malfunction'. All that would happen is that 'the M5s will read Yamada as a threat and kill him on sight at the ceremony'.

Elaborate, way too elaborate from how Hiro perceived it. But from what the teen read, he wanted Yamada to know it was him. In the last few moments of his life, he would realize that Van Buren had this planned all along. It would be a spectacle, a televised assassination would shake the party he once ran for to its core.

Politics was such a madhouse.

* * *

><p>Honey spent the two weeks tracking down Tadashi. In the midst of the blackout aftermath, she found out there had been two dead bodies already identified by officers. Both of them were tied to be Syndicate underbosses, both killed with arrows to the head. It seemed that he was killing one underboss a week till he would find Daisuke Inigawa.<p>

The media already caught storm of this violent vigilante and dubbed him 'Ronin'. It was understandable why they chose that name.

She spent time in her apartment, not calling anyone and simply tracking him as much as she could. She went out to the dangerous parts of the city in order to collect more information about where the man in white could be. It was tedious, but she wasn't going to sit around and let him tear himself apart.

Hiro was busy and so were the others, she cared too much about Tadashi to simply be idle. Finally, the blonde got word about one of the underbosses. She had never hustled people for information like this before. It was all so new and frankly scary. She knew how to fight for herself, but she was always living on the edge of uncertainty.

The information she got was the location of the meeting and time, the rest of the data was too inconsistent to accept. It was at a shot in the dark, a hope that he would be there when she was. But in reality, she was close to desperation. Honey wanted him back and she would try to pull him back to his senses.

She was at the San Fransokyo Luxon, one of the city's finest hotels. A lot of the big wigs and fat cats hung around the Luxon, to rent a room here was saying something. Corporate parties and political events were held here, flaunting their money and status like peacock feathers.

Honey had to flaunt her own feathers just to fit in, her look was irresistible but still classy. She didn't want to turn too many heads, especially by being noticed by any of the VIPs. Honey fixed her hair as she sauntered towards the Luxon's doors. As soon as she walked in, she made no eye contact with anyone and remained silent.

Her heels gently clicked against the waxed marble floors as her feet began to take her towards the floor the meeting was supposed to be held in. She held her clutch purse in one hand as she entered the elevator with a Luxon employee.

"Floor ma'am?"

Honey tucked a strand behind her ear, "Sixteen please."

The man nodded and pressed the button. The blonde kept her eyes forward, she could feel the man staring at her from the side. She shook him off and stepped out of the elevator as soon as the door opened.

The door closed behind her and she was left standing in an empty hallway full of doors. Each end of the halls veered down past her vision, one of them had a door where the meeting was held. She inhaled and then exhaled, the silence was unnerving. Honey chose one corridor to go down with the caution of a scared child.

Male voices entered her earshot as she got closer and closer to the end of the hall. She took out a small pocket mirror and peeked just enough of it to see what was around the corner. Men in suits stood at two open doors. They seemed to be checking anyone who tried to enter the room. 'That has to be the meeting.'

She pressed her back against the wall and put her mirror away. Where was Tadashi? Even then, what would he be doing to get to the man? Honey was putting herself in harm's way to get to him, she wasn't sure if she was rational about her decision anymore. A metal cart slowly rolled down the hall towards her direction. Her green eyes whipped to the sound of the gentle metal clicking only to see a familiar face pushing it.

The man's brown eyes widened at the sight of Honey, he immediately knew it was her. She furiously strode forward and cut in front of the food wagon. The man stopped it as he stared at the woman with an unfazed expression. She knew if she spoke now, the guards around the corner might hear her. But she didn't budge from letting the cart go any further.

"Tadashi." she said softly, just barely a whisper. His gaze didn't waver after she said his name, as if he was trying to sort through the clutter he made in his mind. He slowly looked over his shoulder, eyes meticulously observing every crevice and corner as if someone was watching him.

His hands carefully left the handle and took a cloth to wipe his handprints off. Tadashi fixed his dress shirt and vest, then looked at his watch. Honey found it almost disturbing as to how calm he was, he was intending to kill a man with such a stoic demeanor. Despite the calm in his eyes, she could see the patient hurricane that raged behind them.

This was his resolve, his final decision. He was patient for so long, after leaving the Syndicate he was still held on a leash. But in reality he was bent. Not broken. Bent like a flexible metal rod, he eventually ricocheted back. Now this was the whiplash the Syndicate was going to feel, losing its underbosses.

He quickly grabbed Honey's arm and dragged her towards a door. She was scared at first of what he might do to her, but the grip on her arm didn't hurt. He opened it and gently pushed her inside what looked like a large utility closet. Tadashi closed the door behind him and flicked the light switch on.

"What are you doing?" he asked, eyes narrowed.

Honey tucked the hair behind her ear and looked dead on. "I'm stopping you from doing something you're going to regret."

The man in the formal clothing crossed his arms over his chest with a doubtful expression. "Regret? Why would I regret this?" he muttered. His voice became dark, almost as if he felt threatened by what she said. Honey began to quickly sort out what she wanted to say and how she wanted to say it.

"Tadashi, would killing these people make you complete?" she asked honestly. Her voice wavered under the fear that he was too deep into the malicious idea. Brows scrunched and jaw clenched, a slight spark of rage flickered in his eye in a second.

He kept his eyes on hers, as if he was afraid that his final answer would be his only answer. The fact that it came from Honey made him even more hesitant to answer. The woman saw this effect she had, so she took a step closer.

"Will it?" she asked the raven haired man defiantly.

His jaw slowly unclenched and his expression eased up. "Maybe. It will."

Anger now swirled within the woman's normally bright orbs, how could she not get angry? He was so stubborn and bull headed sometimes. Hurt became apparent as she began to think that she or the others weren't even taken into consideration. Tadashi could see what he did, the woman in front of him dared not cry but he knew how he's torn her heart just a bit.

His brother's words echoed in his mind, _'don't break her heart'_. That was one promise broken. Suddenly, taking her in the closet wasn't such a good idea. Proximity and noise hugged him, could hear his own breathing and could only see so much.

"Tadashi, please forget about all of this." Honey pleaded quietly. Her hand grasped his in a tight hold, afraid that he'd somehow reject him. Lips pursed and brows furrowed, he tried to avoid her eye contact. It eventually settled on hers, but he had nothing more to say to Honey. His mind shouted 'stay' while his heart screamed 'go'.

She waited for him to change his mind. She waited for him to take back what he stated and say it was a mistake. Honey wanted him to come home, for him to come back to her and even the others. But he didn't. Silence deafened her pained ears.

Her hands curled into fists and she grabbed his shoulders, shaking him slightly. "Why won't you say anything?" she whispered brokenly. Tadashi's hands came around her wrists and gently pulled them from his shoulders. His rough and calloused palms met her own soft and tender ones, he was trying to pick his words. But every time his hands pulled one out, it just slipped from his grip.

"I miss you, is this really all worth it?" Her forehead was pressed against his, he could practically hear her breathing. Tadashi wrapped his arms around her torso for one last time, he didn't know when he would get it again. "I can't back down now. I'm so close, Honey." Her hands slowly came up to his chest and slowly pushed him away.

Honey composed herself and let her hands fall from to her sides "When _it's all said and done_. When you're standing where you see yourself, I won't be there." Each syllable she uttered was like a needle in his chest.

It was as if his chest was ripped open and set ablaze. Tadashi opened his mouth to reply, but not a sound came out. What could he say to make her understand? At the same time,

"_Goodbye_, Tadashi." she smiled bitterly. There was no use in staying anymore. The man's eyes softened as he realized how far he's stepped from her. He realized he was losing the woman he loved. He slowly rummaged in his pocket for something he kept.

His palm opened up to reveal a red string, the one he would use on his bow. As soon as she turned, he gently slipped his hand with hers. "Wait." he uttered with urgency. _'Please.'_

Out of the tenderness in her heart, she stopped. Her curious eyes watched as he carefully tied the strong red string around her pinky finger. Why? He lingered, as if he was picking through his brain for anything else to say. An apology wouldn't suffice, not in this life or the next.

"Goodbye, Honey." he whispered softly at the blonde. The twenty one year old woman nodded slowly, trying to ignore the rocks in her chest. Turning away, she began to walk without another word or glance to him.

Tadashi watched her fade from his view as he stood alone in that empty hallway. His thinking was misdirected, even lagged. _Think before you speak_, right, where did he go wrong with that? _Think before you act_, maybe he was misguided as well.

Now that he thought about Honey's absence, did it hurt? He couldn't tell. It was supposed to be easy, easier than this. '_I'm naïve._' Hearts were made to be pieced together, but how could he fully fix his if she had the other pieces? That was the big question after all. It sounded romantic in a way, but pain was only bearable to him if it was romanticized in his mind and upon paper.

'_Finish what you started.'_

Chatter reached the hazed man, it was coming from the room he was planning to go to. The meeting had begun, he was running late. Tadashi's hand touched the metal handles once more and he pushed on towards his destination.

* * *

><p>"Honey, what happened? We thought something happened to you." Hiro asked. He had called her a few times now. He even went to her apartment and found it empty. He sat with the others in a diner, having it as an off day for the team. They were all stressed and nerve wracked by everything they've had to deal with.<p>

Hiro was against leaving the house at first, he was still considered a 'wanted' man. But all he had to do was wear a few things and change the way his hair was kept. He managed to visit his aunt in his get up as well.

The green eyed woman gently stirred her coffee with a somber look upon her face. She had been staring out the window for a long time now, refusing to talk to the others. But she decided it was no use in holding it in. "I've just been out of it lately."

Wasabi gently scraped his finger along his area of the table, "You were gone for four days."

"With no contact." Hiro added. Honey bobbed her head in confirmation, as if she had nothing else to say. They realized that they shouldn't pry further, the more they asked the less she answered.

Gogo popped her gum and gently tapped her fingers against the table. "So, what's the plan?"

Hiro took a sip of his coffee, "I intercepted an email about Van Buren heading to a meeting with Daisuke Inigawa. They'll be at Daisuke's mansion at 5 o' clock. I just need to find out where he lives."

"What are they meeting for?" Fred piped up.

"The city commemoration is in a week from now. You know what they'll discussing. Payment is supposedly in negotiation." Hiro's tapped at the cup that his hand hugged, thoughts swirled in his exhausted mind. Baymax was fixed, Aunt Cass was still in the hospital, and Tadashi was still rampant.

"_Police have apprehended Toshiro Matsuda thanks to the vigilante Ronin. Over the last few weeks, Ronin has been linked to the murder of two other underbosses David Abe and Jun Fujiwara. The police were informed that Matsuda was at the Luxon hotel by a kitchen staff employee. When they arrived at the scene, all of the participants in the room had been incapitated by a chemical substance."_

The team turned their heads to the TV blaring out the news in the quiet diner. A picture of Tadashi mid fight was shown on air next to the female news anchor. The headline was "Ronin: Hero or Villain?" It certainly interested them, the public always had something to say about San Fransokyo's heroes.

"_The commissioner so far as not commented on Ronin's vigilantism. The police however has questioned his methodology in the crime fighting scene, dubbing it as 'violent' and sometimes 'unnecessary'. Citizens are to not get involved with the masked man for caution. Tonight, we'll be talking about today's heroes and how it's affected laws."_

A smile tugged at the corner of Honey's lips, a tiny part of her was happy. He didn't kill the man, but that didn't bring him back either. Hiro glanced at the corner of his eye and saw the bittersweet look on Honey's face. He stayed silent, but any person could tell that she was hurting. He fixed the sunglasses on his face and straightened his beanie he borrowed from Fred.

"You guys have lab right?" Most of the team nodded their heads, except Fred. Hiro didn't want to keep his friends away from their academics, he couldn't go back just yet though. When he was ready to go in for questioning, then he'll hopefully be able to resume studying. "We can meet back up later if you guys want. I'll still have to plan what we're going to do." Hiro said to the tired bunch.

No one made a protest as the group slowly dispersed, Honey was the last to go. Before she did, Hiro asked to talk to her. "Is everything alright?" The blonde fixed the pink frames upon her face and forced out a smile.

"Alright is one way to put it." Hiro observed her for a split second, he knew it had to do with Tadashi. The way she looked at the photo and the smile that tugged at her cheeks. He momentarily lifted the sunglasses from his eyes. "Honey, did he hurt you?" he asked worriedly. She was like a sister to him, there was no way he'd excuse his brother if he had done something to her.

Honey quickly shook her head, "No, he didn't Hiro. I just tried to change his mind and I failed." Hiro could hear the regret in her voice, she felt that she failed him and her friends. The lack of noise was a bit annoying, so he beckoned her to walk with him. Fresh air was always good when it came to heavy hearted topics, it made the burn hurt less.

"You didn't fail anyone, Honey." Hiro reassured, walking beside the tall blonde. The woman shrugged slightly, trying to avert her gaze from the teen. She felt that she didn't do enough to take Tadashi back. _'He's so selfish.'_ That wasn't entirely true. _'I hate him.'_ That was definitely not true. That was the problem with her, she loved him.

The question that lingered in her mind was if he really ever loved her back. Memories dipped between lazy kisses and warm hugs shared between the two of them, the flesh wound on her heart was all too raw. "Do you think he'll come back?" she mumbled. Despite being so close to him, she felt that Hiro would always know more about him than her. It didn't bother her, but she needed to know.

"Maybe. Even I don't think I can help him anymore, Honey." Hiro said softly, pushing his hands in the pocket of his jeans. "He needs to sort himself out. He'll come back, eventually." Hiro had faith in his brother, everyone had their darkest days. He just hoped he would pull himself out before his head went under the water.

"I guess so." Honey shortly said to the teen. She rubbed her eyes and sighed in frustration. "Why is he so stubborn? I've never seen him like that before." Honey groaned tiredly. Hiro stifled his laughter, he knew what she meant. "Well, there's a first for everything, right? He's really objective."

Honey muttered something under her breath, she was irritated by the man now. _'Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable.'_ Her golden hair fell over her shoulder like a waterfall as she stomped. "You okay, Honey?" Hiro asked sheepishly, watching the woman now fume.

Honey fixed her glasses and then tied her hair up in a bun. "I'm sorry Hiro, but you better have Baymax out with some first aid or at least 911 on speed dial. Because – ay dios mio! I'm going to knock him into next week! Ugh!" Hiro stiffened, he'd never seen Honey so furious before. It was a bit comical, but at the same time it was also frightening.

She could do some real damage when she was angry, something between a tornado and a windstorm. He smiled sheepishly and simply let her rant, she continued on and on. A few laughs escaped him as he listened to Honey point out everything that made her angry about Tadashi. He didn't care where they were walking to, but they ended up walking through the park.

Finally, the blonde plopped down onto one of wooden benches. She looked winded and tired from her extended outbursts about what irked her about Tadashi. "Done?" the younger Hamada laughed as he sat next to her. She slowly nodded, running her fingers through her golden hair.

"I'm so sorry Hiro, I didn't mean to just go off like that. I forgot he's your brother too." she sighed, fixing her appearance. Hiro shook his head with an amused smile, he couldn't be mad at what she said. He knew it as well.

"All of the stuff you mentioned, I've had to live through sometimes. Trust me." he snickered. Honey smiled and took in a deep breath, she felt the weight come off her chest. "Besides, letting it out is better sometimes. Right? How do you feel?" he added.

Honey clasped her hands together and stretched them over her head. "Great! I honestly feel like I can breathe again." she exclaimed. Hiro threw her a small and momentary thumbs up. Honey's face fell as she looked at the teen again, "But I'm still going to knock him into next week when he comes back."

"I'll have a few ice packs ready."

Hiro and Honey parted ways that early evening, leaving the boy to ponder his own thoughts. He wanted to help his brother. But he knew he was capable of overcoming his demons himself. Hiro admired him for a lot of reasons, one of them was always being able to define himself by overcoming the impossible.

His confidence in him stemmed from a root planted in the belief that his brother was still there, that he wasn't just some killer. A little older, a little wiser he was once told. Hiro knew that he and Aunt Cass would have to spend a little more time away from Tadashi, he accepted it. He didn't like it, but life goes on for everyone.

"Life goes on." he sighed to himself. The prodigy pushed himself off the bench and began his journey to the hospital. He wanted to visit his Aunt Cass before he headed back to Fred's house, just to check on her and fill her in.

* * *

><p>For the assassination plot Michael Van Buren had, I wanted to make it sound as reasonable and elaborate as I could. I made him in mind as antagonist who isn't exactly involved with going against the team. If that sounded right. Up to this point, the Inigawas and Atlas have been the strings while Van Buren has been the hands. I wanted to make every character I mentioned involved in the story in some way, except for Osborne, who I mentioned in the beginning. He was originally suppose to be Van Buren's son but I lost track of the lad and forgot to add him into my story line, I would have established it earlier in the story but everything else was already laid out, twas my mistake. Anyway, I hope you all have a good day and rest of the week!<p> 


	21. Endure

Thank you for the comments, I appreciate every bit of it. It's winding down to the end of this story for me and I'm so happy at how it's turned out. I'll be releasing chapter 22 today as well, just as a gift I suppose. I'll look over it first and make sure it's ready. However, I hope you all had a great Christmas or day if you don't celebrate it. New Years is around the corner and it's unbelievable to think it's 2015, at least for me. Anyway, here's Endure.

* * *

><p>A lone figure sat atop one of the structures upon the Golden Gate Bridge. Fog drifted below aimlessly, oddly reminding him of himself. His destination eluded him. Tadashi anxiously fiddled with the carbon fiber gauntlets that hugged his hands as he took the time to reflect.<p>

'_Forgiveness and wrath are beasts, the one that grows is the one you feeds', _a saying he may have forgotten. It was unsettling to think that he's fed his wrath so much, it's no longer about protecting his family and friends. It had become a cry for blood, now he wasn't sure if he could control it anymore. _'Of course you can.' _

"How the mighty have fallen." he mumbled amusingly as he set his mask aside. He took in a deep breath and let the cold air fill his flame wrought lungs. The days where he could breathe with ease were the days he missed, where he was erasing equations and not lives. He knew he had a choice, but his weakness nestled itself within that choice.

'_Let go.'_

"How? Two words can't help me." he mumbled, shortly throwing his hands up in frustration. His mother always seemed to know what to say to him when he was a child, it was amusing how she still knew what to say to him despite being gone. He was full of anger when he was young, like almost all kids. But she'd quell his rage with her words, back then he didn't understand what they meant or why they calmed him.

But now he felt that he knew, that she knew he would need those words again. The beauty of memories and of words is that they transcended time, never fixed in one place and time, they could be remembered or recited from any place in time. He was just trying to find his place in the present.

Yes, his own footing. Displaced but not lost. A man who was gone for three years, still living in his own shadow. Control wrath, anger, and hate. All words so different yet still alike. Slowly and ever so certain, he realized he's lost himself in his past, in the loathing he's tried to justify and hold onto for years.

_Be calm. Inhale. _

Air seeped into the cracks in his chest, tickling his heart.

_Be gentle. Exhale._

Chest falling, eyes prickling, and throat tightening, he opened his hands.

_Be forgiving. Let go._

Laughter, clear as day and as bright as the sun escaped into the night.

_Know that today will have an end and tomorrow will have a beginning._

Tears escaped his sealed cognac eyes as his back touched the cold metal under him.

_Living with the burden of anger is not living, be good._

Eyes opened to greet the sky and for once in a long time, the stars said 'hello'.

"I will."

* * *

><p>A figure jogged down the streets near the Lucky Cat Café. A beanie clung onto his black hair and a pair of black rimmed glasses hugged his face. His feet had brought him here, seeing the familiar corners put him at ease. However, the missing café put a pang in his heart.<p>

The place where the building use to stand was taped off from the public. He looked around for anyone who could be watching him, nothing else stirred after a car passed by. Hiro darted across the street and made his way towards the taped off area. He jumped over one of the fallen blocks and landed on piles of wood.

It was terrible, to see the home he grew up in be burnt to the ground. He could tell anyone where the doors were located, where the stairs began and where they ended. He could tell them where his aunt would stand and where Mochi would perch. A smile came over his face as he stepped over a large fallen beam.

What made him upset was of all the photos they lost. Pictures of their times together, of their family, lost forever to the flames that ate his home. He sighed and sat down on a slab of fallen rock, he wanted to spend some time here before he actually went back to work.

But it seems that wouldn't happen after a beam of light suddenly hit his eyes. "Hands up Hamada!" a man shouted.

"Perfect." Hiro said, throwing his hands up. The beam slowly faded and revealed men and women in suits. One of them was holding up a large flashlight. Most of them were holding guns in their hands. The teen blinked the spots he saw in his eyes and let them readjust again.

"Why the weapons? I'm not armed." Hiro said casually, he watched them approach him. The one in the lead came over and began putting his hands behind his back. "It's standard procedure."

"Nice to see you too Agent Dewitt." Hiro greeted the man. He felt a hand on his shoulder escort him forward as the other hand held onto his cuffs.

"Let's save the greetings for later. You and I have a lot to talk about Hamada." the brown haired man grumbled. A long black sedan slowly rolled to the front of the burned down café and stopped. He loved black sedans, they were always so comforting.

"Stop pushing, I'm already moving, damn." Hiro frowned, slipping into the car. The rest of Dewitt's team filed into the sedan as well, sitting opposite of Hiro. Of course, Dewitt himself sat across the teen. Hiro felt the car lurch forward as he watched the torn building fade from the edge of his eyes.

"You've been wanted for questioning for a while now, Hiro. I would say almost, three months?" the man pressed. Hiro smiled sheepishly and nodded slowly, knowing that it was true. What could he do? He was a busy guy.

"Sorry if I made things a bit harder for you Mr. Dewitt." Hiro said, moving his arms a bit. The cuffs were starting to annoy him. Dewitt motioned for the woman and the man next to him to remove the cuffs. They unlinked the two rings and let the teen stretch his arms a bit.

"We need to talk about Atlas. Not only that, but the Inigawas too. We know you've been involved in some way." Hiro muttered something under his breath as he wrung his wrists. He was a bit tired of hearing about Atlas and the Syndicate, they had become such a pain over the months now. Hiro sighed and clasped his hands together.

"First of all, let me tell you the whole story. I made Atlas as a search and rescue exoskeleton. That's all he was before, all bones, no skin like the ones you see. But the Inigawas stole it along with its programming chip. They're the ones who turned it into those violent machines. Not me." he defended.

"Atlas's A.I. was not malicious, it could learn yes, but I never programmed it to attack humans – "

Dewitt nodded along but then cut in, "But why did they go after you? Of all the people?" Hiro didn't want to say that it was because he provoked them. As far as he knew, he provoked them. However there was some growing confusion in his mind.

"I showcased it at the San Fransokyo Institute Tech Fair. They must have caught wind of Atlas." Hiro answered, crossing his arms over his chest. Dewitt rubbed his face with his hand, he didn't seem to object to his reasoning. It sounded plausible, but still, he needed more information.

"Okay, okay. Don't be alarmed, but we're going to take you to HQ for some questioning."

"As always. You do this almost every year." Hiro sighed, rubbing his temple. This wasn't the first time he's been brought in by Dewitt. The man worked for the special investigations branch of the government, he first met him after the Callaghan incident.

He was questioned about his involvement with the microbots. By that time, Dewitt's team already knew about his identity. Hiro was allowed to keep the identities of the others in the dark, but his was exposed already. He'd been taken for questioning multiple times already for different incidents, by this time Hiro and Dewitt could call each other acquaintances.

The dark skinned man fixed his tie and leaned back. "Well, look at it this way, we can catch up on things. I'm also sorry about your aunt, Hiro. I heard what had happened." he consoled. Hiro nodded slowly, he didn't like to bring it up often. He was only looking forward to the conversation of when she will wake up.

"Well, I think we have a little less time to talk. I have information about Van Buren and the Syndicate you might want to know about." Hiro stated solemnly. There was no room for small talk right now, he knew that the mayor's life was in danger.

Dewitt rubbed his chin slowly, watching the boy. There was a certain gravity in his tone, urgency even. He sat up straight and put his hands on his lap. "Talk to me." he nodded.

* * *

><p>Honey, Gogo, Wasabi, and Fred all hung out around the table in the workstation room. They were told to meet there for the debriefing. The only problem was, they had been sitting there for almost two hours now. It was apparent that something had gone wrong.<p>

"I can't sit around anymore!" Gogo sighed, throwing her hands up. She pushed herself off the table, but Wasabi put his hands in front of her to prevent her from leaving. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait, where are you going?"

Gogo pushed the man out of her way, "Unless Hiro decided to stop by the candy factory or fall into a deep ditch again, obviously something happened to him."

As soon as she opened the door to walk out, she ran into Baymax. The body sent her stumbling back from the impact. "I apologize." Baymax said shortly, tilting his head. "Did I cause any distress?"

Gogo shook her head and then asked, "Baymax, has Hiro called you? Or have you heard from him at all?" Baymax shook his head and moved out of the door's way. "He has not. I have not heard from him since 5:46 in the afternoon today. His last known location was at San Fransokyo General Hospital."

The rest of the team looked at one another, Hiro never broke contact from Baymax for more than three hours. "Did you put a tracking chip in his hoodie?" Wasabi asked. Baymax blinked and the screen on his chest lit up. "Yes, but he removed it after he had found it."

"Usually you're with him, right?" Honey asked curiously. The robot nodded, today was an exception. "I remained at the San Fransokyo General Hospital. I was monitoring Cass Hamada's health."

Fred scratched the back of his neck, "How's she doing?"

Baymax's screen lit up and detailed everything he gathered about her at the time. "She is stable. Her neural signs are still very active. I believe she is minimally conscious. She is being treated well. But it is possible that she is able to hear in some way."

That brought relief to all of them, they were all just as scared for Cass as the boys were. It eased them to know she wasn't beyond help.

Honey decided to get back to the task at hand, "Baymax, can't you hyper-scan all of San Fransokyo?" The robot nodded. "I can hyper-scan the city, however I need adequate elevation and the helmet to aid me."

That was a problem, considering all of Baymax's armor was lost in the fire. Hiro had been working on it already, but he only finished the rockets shoes and rocket fists. They were afraid to attempt to make it on their own, but at the same time, Hiro wasn't here.

"Maybe we should just wait. I mean, he could be just taking his time." Fred said, leaning his back against his chair. Gogo rolled her eyes and placed a hand on her hips. "Hiro would take his time. But it's almost been two hours."

"So, maybe he got lost?"

"Perhaps he was abducted?" Baymax offered, tilting his head. It wasn't too far off, he was still being looked for by both the special investigations unit and possibly even the Inigawas.

"We should make the rest of Baymax's armor and the helmet." Honey said, sitting down on Hiro's swivel chair. A look of skepticism crossed Gogo and Wasabi's face, Fred on the other hand looked ecstatic. He was always excited whenever they got to do something cool. "Hiro mentioned he kept his blueprints and coding on his cloud storage." Fred bounced.

Honey turned to Hiro's computer and booted it up. A password box came up, asking them for an input. "Um, would any of you know his password?"

The team gathered around the monitor to look. "Try 'TadashiHamada'." Gogo said. A red X came up after Honey inputted it. "That's a bit weird."

"That it's not his password?"

"No, that why would his brother's name be his password?" Wasabi chuckled.

"I don't know. I was just guessing. Try 'RoboticsRocks' in lowercase." The X reappeared, the team began trying a bunch of combinations for the password, each time getting rejected.

"Try gummybears." Gogo sighed, throwing her head back. The password bar disappeared and the screen began loading his desktop. "Go figure." she groaned, throwing her hands up in the air. The others tried not to laugh, the biker had been the first to get frustrated out of all of them. Seeing that gummy bears was the password felt like a no brainer.

"Fred, do you know how to get to his cloud?" Honey asked. The blond boy nodded and replaced the spot where Honey was sitting. They watched him start up a program that brought up the name 'Atlas'. Gogo's brow arched in curiosity. "He named his storage cloud after Atlas?"

Wasabi shrugged, "Guess so."

"There, his blueprints." Honey pointed. Gogo leaned closer to the monitor and nodded, "Just upload all of this to the large 3D printer over there and it should be good to go."

"What about his helmet? There's some circuiting to do on it."

Wasabi stepped forward, "I can do that. I've done circuiting before for my plasma laser projects."

Honey wiped the smudged pink frames and placed them back on her face, "I can work on the chemical coating."

"I can do the finishing touches on putting the parts together." Gogo offered, popping another stick of gum in her mouth.

Fred swiveled his chair and pushed himself up, "And I'll print this stuff and upload the hyper-scan coding to Baymax's helmet chip."

Silence passed over them and three pairs of eyes landed on the blond man. Gogo popped her gum with a surprised look on her face, "Whoa."

Fred shrugged and walked over to the 3D printer. "What? I got a lot of time on my hands. I've been hanging out with Hiro too, he's been teaching me all this stuff while he was rebuilding Baymax."

The team all began working on what they had planned to do. Fred printed out the various layers of each piece, then handed all the layers to Gogo. She was the one who began assembling them all and making sure that they held themselves.

Wasabi worked on assembling the circuits for Baymax's helmet, while Fred uploaded the coding to the chip for the actual headpiece. Honey made use of whatever container she had to mix the coating for the armor. Baymax went around making sure that no one got hurt, he would come around with food or drinks after a while.

The night was loud, filled with the sound of power tools and sometimes even explosions filled the air. It was a busy night for them, busier than usual. However the end product was worth it. Once everything was finished and coated, they realized that putting it on Baymax was a different story.

"Didn't Hiro say he made it to where it was easier to assemble it on him?" Wasabi asked as he lifted the chest piece.

"Yeah, but he didn't exactly say how. Let's just try it out." They fumbled and stumbled over one another about putting it on Baymax. After a while, the main parts of the armor took care of the rest. The abdomen area extended from the chest piece and connected to the bottom parts, instead of being attached individually. The joints all locked and secured themselves, the only part they had to put on themselves was the helmet.

"Is it working Baymax?" Gogo asked. They watched his visor begin to flicker and eventually come to life. He slowly nodded and let the wings slowly come out to test them. "The interface is operational. If you wish, we can hyper scan the whole city now."

"Yes! We should." Honey said excitedly. The large sliding door opened to let the robot make his way to the lawn. Gogo and Honey each sat upon his shoulders, while Baymax cradled Fred on one arm. Wasabi sighed, he still hated heights, but he knew they would wait till he got on.

The man was cradled on his other arm just like Fred, normally they would have been held on by his hands. "Please hold on tightly." Baymax made sure that his hands wouldn't drop or let any of them slip from his shoulders.

It was one of the few times he's flown without Hiro, it was odd to say the least. He was used to having the teen hooked onto the magnetic pads on his back. Higher and higher he went, keeping a track as to how high he was going. "How much more?" Honey asked.

"I am almost at the desired altitude." He finally saw the Japanese painted wind turbines past the clouds, which was where he wanted to be. Baymax slowed his ascent and hovered atop the surface of the turbine. He carefully lowered himself down on to the metal platform and allowed the others to hop off. Wasabi clung onto the middle like a kitten, trying not to look down onto the city below them.

"The view up here is amazing!" Fred shouted, glancing at the city below. The two ladies nodded in agreement, there was something spectacular about looking down at the lit city. Its neon lights and bustling highways truly showed how alive the city was. Baymax's helmet softly beeped twice and began scanning the city.

"Hiro is not appearing on my hyper-scan map. I cannot identify his location or his readings anywhere." Baymax gravely stated.

"That can't be right, he should be in the city. Unless…" Wasabi was thinking what the others were thinking, that he may as well have been kidnapped. "Can you scan it again Baymax? Maybe you missed something."

Two beeps resounded from the robot's visor as he slowly moved his head back and forth. "He is still not appearing on my map." Fear struck all of them, first they lost Tadashi, now it was Hiro. The robot continued to scan the city while the others talked amongst themselves. They were at a loss, finding Hiro was equivalent to a needle in a haystack.

"One problem at a time." Honey said, her brows furrowing. "What about Hiro? We're just going to leave him be?" Gogo asked, looking quite irritated.

"I think what she's saying is that we need to finish what we actually started. That meeting is tomorrow, if we miss it we've lost our shot in stopping Van Buren and the Syndicate." Wasabi said, standing up from his spot. Honey nodded in agreement.

A look of concern overcame Fred's face, he was still worried about his friend. "What if they do the same thing to him? Like what they did with Tadashi."

Honey fixed her hair and shook her head quickly, "We don't even know who he was taken by. Or if he was taken at all. It's all speculation right now."

Gogo rubbed her temple in frustration, if she was on the ground, she would of gone on her bike by now to look for him. "Hiro is capable of getting himself out of sticky situations." Wasabi commented. Gogo popped her gum, he had a point. Despite his age, they all knew what the genius was capable of. He had adequate exposure to self-defense as well, so he wasn't completely in distress.

"Okay, you guys have a point. So, we take down the meeting first?" Gogo sighed, placing a hand on her hip. They looked over to Baymax, who was still scanning the city for his companion. The bot seemingly continued to scan despite not finding him. "Baymax." The armored robot turned his head to see the others watching him.

"I apologize. Were you calling my name earlier?" Honey smiled wearily and shook her head. She walked over and gently placed a hand on his arm. "We'll find him, okay?" Baymax kneeled down and extended his hand to the team. Once they climbed onto him and secured themselves, the robot descended back towards Fred's home.

* * *

><p>If Tadashi wasn't so at peace, he would have been out and about by now. The man was taking his time to stare at the stars. His eyes were closed and his body was pressed against one of the arches that held up the golden gate bridge. He felt like the world was lifted off his shoulders, he'd scraped the gray clouds from his fogged mind and could finally think straight.<p>

His crying laughter lifted his heavy heart and had allowed him to feel human again. It was okay to cry, he sometimes forgot that he needed to stop acting 'strong' all the time. He'd always held that image up, crying wasn't something he was comfortable with.

Tears he had shed were dry now, his chest had opened up and breathing felt like a blessing. He needed to help himself before he could actually help others, and that's what he did. Tadashi stood up and rubbed his face tiredly. He needed sleep at the least, before he stepped back into the affairs he was dealing with.

"Alright Tadashi, now let's get down here without dying. You still have a lot of people to apologize to." he muttered to himself. Getting up here seemed easy, but actually making his way down a bit unnerving.

His mouth was full of silent pleas to whatever divine being was up there to safeguard his descent from the tall pillar. It was a good idea at first, to be on his post of solitude. But now that he was tired and yearning sleep, maybe he should have cleared his mind before he went up. When he got to the bottom, he made his way towards the pier.

The night at the Luxon was quite eventful, he didn't leave unscathed, but he did leave with information. Toshiro was supposed to be stone cold in his chair with an arrow embedded in his chest, but Honey's words had placed a hand on his before he could draw the string. 'Is it worth it?'

Epiphanies mid fight wasn't exactly the best things to have, but his arm didn't draw the string.

Before he knocked out Matsuda, he had forced him to spill where Daisuke Inigawa was heading next. He caught wind of the meeting with Van Buren. He also learned about the plan B if the first plan was to fail.

But what sparked his interest was why he was talking to the corporate mogul in the first place. He wouldn't play dumb around the fact that Van Buren was working with Inigawa in some way. Attending that get together wasn't going to change in his mind. He would do the same thing as he did with Toshiro, at least on a general level.

The details of how he would actually execute it was beyond him, his original plan was to kill Daisuke. It wouldn't make him feel any better than he had been before, he knew this. He was looking for some sort of pardon for what he did, from who though? He didn't know. Tadashi always wanted to be Hiro's role model, but he felt that he didn't earn that right anymore.

If anything, Hiro was his role model. The teen overcame his demons already, Tadashi just got over the hill. Even more, he wanted to make amends with Honey. "I still don't remember why I gave her that string." he mumbled, pulling himself over a rail.

He sighed and anxiously rubbed the back of his neck, his uncertainty stemmed from his fears. More specifically, it stemmed from the fear that he'd lose her. It was a dark thought, but love could only stretch for so long till it breaks. But he couldn't simply go back to her apartment with flowers and ask for forgiveness.

No, when it came to love, it was anything but simple between them. They were tangled together in each other's strings in a beautiful disaster. But in the end, what mattered was he missed her and hoped he could get another chance.

He missed her voice, gentle and steadfast, it soothed his mind in his darkest nights. He missed her evergreen eyes, the color of grass that greeted him every morning. He missed how perfectly they fit in each other's arms, it was comical when she wanted to play as the big spoon sometimes, and he'd end up almost flattening her against the couch.

A laugh escaped his throat just thinking about those days, they were still fresh in his mind. He missed her soft lips and kisses, a simple gesture that could calm the shadows in his heart. "I'm head over heels." he groaned. It was embarrassing, but he loved it, just thinking about her sent electricity coursing through his veins.

Tadashi came to a conclusion. "Everything." he said out loud. He missed everything about her, her whole entirety and presence was missing and it was unbearable. "Aunt Cass would be laughing so hard right now." Aunt Cass.

A pang of guilt swept through him all of a sudden. His aunt, still in bed. Tadashi hadn't dismissed her, he visited her when Hiro wasn't there.

He made sure that she was being cared for properly, otherwise he would have had a word with the nurses and doctors about proper patient care. He's left new flowers every week, he made sure it was her favorite ones too. Sometimes he'd whisper apologies to her about how he's acted. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Tadashi wished she heard him.

* * *

><p>"Hiro, we can't just press charges based on documents alone." Dewitt said, handing the teen a cup of coffee. The young Hamada sighed, taking a sip of his coffee. "Yeah, I know. That's why you need to let me go." They were in the headquarters of Dewitt's squad, specifically they were underground.<p>

It was structured close to a military bunker, the location of the actual bunker was beyond him. Every time he was taken by the agents, he would usually get a bag over his head. "The problem is that you were a highly sought after target. You're not clear yet, we can't just let you walk out scot free."

"Why's that? I'm sure you already got people who already keep tabs on me." Dewitt nodded and took a sip of his coffee. He motioned Hiro to take a seat, who complied and sat across from the tall man. "We do. But it's law that we keep you here until we've cleared your name up."

"Please don't tell me I'm going to have to stand in front of a judge or something." Hiro said, taking a sip of his coffee. The agent shook his head and gently tapped the manila folder. "That's why we're sending our team out to this location you gave us at that specific time. I trust your team will be there too?"

Hiro placed the mug down in front of him and shrugged. "They might, depends, there's other. I have my secrets, you have yours. Just have your people there is all I recommend." Dewitt rubbed the side of his face, he had other cases to attend to. But he knew pressing Hiro for information wouldn't work. He'd already tried that method the first time he met the boy, it didn't work out as he planned.

He nodded and pushed himself up and off the chair, he needed to get his team ready for tomorrow. He was sure that crashing the meeting wouldn't be some cakewalk. He needed equipment and surveillance ahead of time. "Okay, Hiro. For now, wait here. Other people are coming in to ask you about Atlas. Be honest."

Hiro shot up from his seat, "Really? Can't you just let me go?" the boy said, his voice raising. Dewitt shook his head as he grabbed the manila folder and tucked it under his arm. "Procedures, Hamada. That's how we operate." he said as he swung the door open. "O'Connor and Murphy will take you to a room for now. It's not a holding cell, so don't worry."

Two men walked in and replaced Dewitt, they escorted Hiro towards his room. Mischief gleams like diamonds in his eye as he looked over his shoulder. "Can I get a call at least?" The two glanced at one another. "No."

"Come on, I'm not even requesting a private call." Hiro grumbled. They agreed and stood around to let him call one person. He dialed Honey's number and waited for her to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Honey, it's me Hiro." He could hear her tell the others. Who then came over and began to talk incessantly through the phone. There were so many questions he didn't know how to even be under the radar with his order. "Honey, listen, have them be quiet." he griped.

"Dios mio! Guys stop! Cállate por favor!" she screamed. Voices reduced themselves to nothing after Honey's angry outburst. They all sounded so tired he didn't know if he should have even called them in the first place.

"Honey, go to the party without me." Hiro said.

"Qué? – I mean what?" Honey groaned, he could tell she was rubbing her head from moments earlier. "I said go to the party without me. Make sure you bring back food, okay?"

"Um – okay? Yeah okay? Hiro are you okay?"

"Yes, I said bring back food and show it to our friend Samantha Franklin. Franklin needs to see the food, otherwise she won't know what she missed at the party." Silence followed after he said that, he could tell they were all processing it. Despite the men being far away, he still wanted to be as discreet as possible. He wouldn't be surprised if the line was being monitored.

"Sure, yeah we'll bring back food for Samantha." Honey said with a hint of concern in her voice.

"Why does she need it again?"

"Sam needs it because she needs to know what she's missing at the party." Hiro yawned casually.

"Anyway, I'll talk to you all later." Hiro quickly hung up and let himself get escorted to his room. He was sure they'll get the message, he just hoped they'd get it soon.

* * *

><p>"Uh, who is Samantha Franklin? And what party?" Fred asked with genuine confusion. "He was talking in code Fred. Obviously someone was in the room with him." Gogo retorted, pushing herself up from the chair.<p>

"Well I know for sure he's telling us to go to the meeting. But what the heck does food mean?" Wasabi shrugged. In the time they were discussing their operations, Wasabi took the liberty in fixing the whole room. He was still at it after the phone call.

"Food, food, food." Honey mused, sitting on one of the chairs. "Information?" Gogo finished. It made sense, what else could it be? "I agree with Gogo, it's probably data, info, stats, you know, the low down. Sit rep, whole enchilada – I really want an enchilada – "

"Fred."

"Sorry. I got excited." the blond man grinned.

"Okay, but what does information have to do with a guy named Sam Franklin?" Wasabi frowned, tossing a disposable wipe in the waste bin. He began untangling the wired mess on Hiro's desk. Sam Franklin was a name they never heard of before.

"He said, otherwise he won't know what he missed at the party." Honey recited. She looked around the room for anything on the wall. Her eyes landed on a particular poster on the wall. "Could it be a name for San Fransokyo?" she asked as she looked at the San Fransokyo Ninjas poster.

"It sounds right, but still…" Gogo mumbled.

"Well, when people name objects, aren't they usually female names?" Fred asked.

"Yeah but it's a city. A place." Gogo replied, fixing her fingerless gloves.

"Well let's pretend it is another name for San Fransokyo. Three words in 'San', okay take the three words in Samantha, Sam. Right?" Wasabi proposed.

Honey arched her brow and nodded slowly, "Yeah?"

Wasabi walked over to the poster and covered a part of Fransokyo. "People in San Fransokyo don't usually even say San Fransokyo. Way too long and it's a mouthful. They say San Fran, right?"

"Go on." Gogo pressed.

"Let's take that and just apply it. Franklin shortened to four words is Fran. Sam Fran? You know, close to San Fran? Huh?" Wasabi concluded. The team all had a look of approval on their faces, now to actually piece together what he meant.

"So, show the information to San Fran. He wants us to show the information we got at the meeting to the city? Exactly how?" Gogo added.

A bright smile overtook Honey's face and she stood up quickly. "We broadcast it after we get it."

"Broadcast to who?" Fred piped in.

The dark skinned man ran a hand through his locks and leaned back on his chair. "How about we run it by SFNN? They're going to be in Van Buren's headquarters tomorrow."

That wasn't such a bad idea.

* * *

><p>From this point on, Baymax and Hiro will sort of step to the side, they're still part of the story though. They'll be indirectly involved with the mission, but I was curious as to how the team would operate without Hiro. I'm sure they can operate well, but I just played around with the idea just a bit. But Tadashi's struggle with himself was something that I struggled with as well, but being an older brother, I realized that I shouldn't hold onto so much anger. Eventually I came to that conclusion just like Tadashi, remembering what someone said to me and finally taking it to heart.<p>

Mrs. Hamada was someone who I would of loved to see in the film, just to see how she was. But I saw her as someone who was wise, motherly, and patient, especially when it came to small Tadashi. The fact that she passed away I thought made all of her teachings even more valuable and engraved, it's the few words he would keep as a memory of her. Anyway, I hope this chapter was sufficient. Chapter 22 should be out in an hour or so.


	22. Checkmate

Heyo, here's chapter 22. When I refer to Ronin, I'm referring to Tadashi. I don't use Ronin often, I recently introduced the name too. I think that's all I have to say up here.

* * *

><p>"Planting a bug? Who exactly will get even close enough to plant one?" Gogo asked, stirring her cup of coffee. She took out the gum in her mouth and placed it on a piece of paper next to Wasabi. The man cringed at the sight and shivered. "W-well we need to sneak someone – "<p>

"Me!" Fred shouted. He had shot up from his chair so hard that his beanie had fallen off. He snatched it from the floor and strode forward. "Dude, this is my calling. I've always wanted to do spy stuff." he smirked, placing the beanie back atop his mop of hair. Wasabi and the others looked amongst themselves, waiting for one of them to speak up.

Fred clasped his hands together and got down on his knees, "Come on guys, I can be a janitor or something. I'll be in and out before you know it!"

Gogo nodded quickly as she drank her coffee, "I agree with Fred. He's perfect for it. He's inconspicuous."

"Yeah, okay, that's true. But what about the bug?" Wasabi asked. Honey stood up and grabbed Baymax's helmet, she overturned it and glanced inside. Transmitting live feed wouldn't be so bad.

"Hiro was able to see through Baymax's visor with a chip he implanted. Why not put that into my helmet and have me stream the conversation through. Fred can have Hiro's chip and be the receiving end, right?"

The team settled on the plan, agreed that Fred would have to somehow make his way to the small control room. They left the blond man to his devices to study the building, while they fiddled with Hiro and Baymax's helmet.

After they realized they were curbing over the edge of sleep deprivation, the team broke apart for the night. Fred and Heathcliff continued to work, burning the midnight oil like no tomorrow. All of them slipped into bed with an anxious feeling. Their team dynamic was off, they were missing Hiro. Even the lack of Tadashi was odd.

Carrying out the plan was important, it was about protecting the mayor and making sure that the police droids don't get implemented. It was a heavy burden for just the four of them to accomplish, but they were heroes. If no one did it, who would?

(line)

Tadashi fell in and out of sleep, sometimes being woken up by the noise of a car coming by or street clatter. His sleeping spot was between two pillars that held up the walkway. He had built himself a elevated hammock. The only problem was the lack of light.

The shadows use to comfort him, he didn't mind sleeping in its embrace, now it made him uneasy. Eventually, the sound of his mother's voice in his mind put him at ease. Fatigue slowly wrapped its arms around him and lulled him into his dreams.

Morning was a bit more unforgiving as a bird landed near his sleeping body and let out a sound that could startle a hibernating bear. "Aghhhh!" The man was up with his hands ready to punch the person in the throat, he rolled off the side and fell into the approaching wave. His head shot up as he stared at the bird who tilted its head at him.

It was a rude awakening, the waves retreated and then came back to hug him again. Soaked to the bone, he quickly dismissed his rising annoyance. But the bird that stared at him with it's inert eyes was pecking at him. A salty water bath wasn't something he ever asked for, a nice hot bath would be a better substitute. Although, it would be a while till he got one.

"Shoo." he growled, narrowing his eyes at it. He waved his hand at it and watched it fly away. What time was it? "Better yet, what year is it?" he mumbled, picking himself up. Tadashi picked up the bow and He brushed the sand from his shirt and pants. It was easy to mistake him for a homeless man, he was particularly dirty from head to toe. Running a hand through his wet hair, Tadashi walked under his hammock and began kicking up dirt.

He pulled out a sand covered duffel bag and strapped it across his shoulders. After changing under the pier, he laid out his arrows and began to count each of them. He only had two spare knock out gas arrows, a few blunt arrows, standards, and a few EMP ones. Tadashi tried to reuse as much arrows as he could.

Ammunition was hard to come by and hard to make, he had no time to make them, neither did he have enough resources to do so. He made every shot count. "Should probably check the time." he yawned, fixing the mask on his face. His interface was beginning to bug out from the damage, typically Hiro would have fixed it, but that wasn't an option.

Before he left the area, he spotted the clock and was surprised to find that the meeting would start soon Sweat ran down his back as he began double timing to the house that Toshiro had mentioned. It would be anything but untimely to find out he missed his window.

* * *

><p>"Is it working?" the biker asked as she watched Honey. The blonde slowly nodded, zooming in as much as she could to the back. In the backyard was a large pool where two chairs sat parallel to one another. They had been waiting for the meeting to start, patience was a virtue for at least two of them. Gogo was on the verge of pulling her hair out from being idle for so long.<p>

But they didn't get this far to get their cover blown. Getting past the fences and the gates of the mansion had been difficult, flying in wasn't an option. Setting up the hyper-spectral transmitter before they were spotted was even harder, however the distance they had was sufficient for the camera to pick up both sound and video.

It was a black, lightweight, and compact square camera. It would be the type a person would mount onto them or a vehicle. To have it no seen, they had tucked it away under some vines that had clung onto the wall that hugged the mansion. After that, it was a long wait of hoping that the meeting would take place out in their backyard.

It did, Honey watched from her helmet as two formal looking men came to their backyard with a bottle of liquor and two glasses. Behind them was a trail of at least eight bodyguards, armed to say the least. One man was dressed in a gray suit, she recognized him as Michael Van Buren from the showcase Tadashi showed her.

Tall and similarly dressed, a slender fair skinned man walked beside him with an unwavering dignity. The man donned a cropped haircut to the side upon his head with an expression both charming and unnerving. "Let's just hope Fred has his end of the line worked out." Wasabi softly mumbled.

* * *

><p>A mop lazily wiped the smudges off Van Buren headquarters' marble floors. A blond haired man in a janitor's garb, a hat sat atop his head as he mopped away next to a closed door. Beside him was a large cart, holding all of his equipment in it.<p>

The nametag on the clothing said 'Carson'. But on the plate next to the room was engraved the words 'Media Room', as well as a keycard machine to prevent any unauthorized personnel to come inside.

He had been observing closely and found out there were only two people operating the console from inside. Timing was all he needed right now, although he knew that it was almost lunch and one of them was bound to leave. Just in time, Fred watched the door swing open and one man come out. As he was close to passing Fred, the blond man tripped him with the mop, making it seem like an accident.

As the man fell forward, Fred caught him with his arm. "Sorry about that." he apologized. Before the employee had a time to respond, electricity ran through him. Fred's janitor gloves had been secretly converted into electroshock gloves, connected to a power source within his uniform. The man silently slumped forward in his arms.

Fred grabbed the keycard and pulled the tarp up from his equipment cart. He slipped the man on the bottom deck and folded his legs to make sure they didn't stick out. Then he let the edgings cover the sides again as if nothing was under it. He slid the keycard under the door and knocked on it. A few seconds he heard, "Really Charles? You dropped your keycard. One second, I'm coming."

As soon as the door opened, Fred's hand landed on the man's shoulder and ran a good dose of electricity through him. He caught the man and quickly set him aside. Then he pulled the cart inside of the room as well and set it on the side. Fred shut the door and fumbled to get out a plastic bag. It was the device that was supposed to be the receiving end.

"Come on baby, don't fail me now." Fred chuckled, making his way to the console. He took out the USB cord and followed the instructions Heathcliff and himself found out about.

He was looking for the wire that fed into the building's numerous TV streams. All around the building were screens that played Van Buren's logo and had Michael's face all over it.

After he found it, he hooked up the device and checked the light to make sure both the camera and device were working. Red, red, red, three seconds, four seconds, five seconds, six. The small bulb turned a bright lime green, signaling him that both ends were communicating. Fred flipped the small switch and looked at the screen of the console.

It began showing what the camera was capturing at the meeting with Van Buren and Daisuke. The sound began filtering through the screen. Making him grin wickedly as he stood up. Fred broke the keycard and pulled the door open.

No one could be left inside, so he yanked both of the operators out and left them in the hallway. He put the electroshock glove upon the keycard scanner and let out an electric blast to short circuit it. "Yeah baby." he cheered to himself.

He made a detour into the stairwell and began his descent down towards the underground garage. He felt like a real agent, the day just couldn't get any cooler.

* * *

><p>"Hm, nice move Hiro." the teen sighed to himself. Playing chess with yourself wasn't as fun as it seemed, he wished he had built a robot for this. He knocked off one of the white knights from the board and took a drink of his water.<p>

They had provided him with a TV in his room, which had been blaring SFNN all day. He didn't even want to look at it, considering it was a news reporter talking in the main lobby of Van Buren's headquarters.

"I'd be damned if I'd watch this crap." he muttered, moving the white pawn forward. Hiro was worried about his friend, he was afraid that it might not go as they planned. He also was afraid that he didn't get what he meant when he wanted them to show it to San Fransokyo.

"_Here we are in Van Buren Manufacturing's lobby, here already they're showcasing their – "_ He leaned forward and reached for the remote –

"_What?" The news reporter looked over her shoulder after the VB Manufacturing's logo was replaced with video footage of Michael and Daisuke:_

'_Of course, the M5's will trigger as soon as Shinji finishes his speech at the ceremony. I made sure that someone in the crowd would trigger it. After that, the person lets the kill code run lose. It'll be called an accident.' Michael Van Buren said casually._

_Daisuke pulled the glass away from his lips and nodded slowly, 'But you have history with Shinji Yamada. It seems too obvious. Don't you think?'_

'_Yes, but my contributions to him and the city far outweighs the suspicion of me even being part of that conspiracy.' Daisuke sighed and set his glass down. _

'_I suppose Michael, I suppose. Now, I'm here for the money, I'm sure you're well aware.' he stated with a stoic expression. Michael nodded patted a case beside his chair. 'Ten million in cash as promised.' An approving smile slowly crept upon the Syndicate's face. _

'_However, like before, you can't turn your back on me, Daisuke.' Michael said darkly. The mob boss clasped his hands together and leaned in. 'Now when has that ever happened? Never of course. Don't expect the Syndicate to turn their backs on you that easily, Michael. As long as you have the cash, we'll play the game.'_

'_Yes well, we have to remember, I'm the game maker. There's a degree of control I need to have. You have to keep your word. No one in your family will say anything about Shinji's assassination.'_

_The camera was glued to the screen that the conversation was being streamed upon, people were already gathered around it in wonder. Gasps and whispered echoed in the background, anyone in the building had watched the conversation. _

"_Keep rolling Will, I can't believe – "_

_The screen was shut off entirely, someone had pulled the plug on the stream. Murmurs continued amongst the crowd, the anchor herself looked stunned. The woman tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and looked at the camera again, "Excuse us – um Will where were we?"_

Hiro cheered loudly as if he had just won the lottery, shooting up from his chair. The boy almost knocked over his chess game, but happily missed it. He laughed out loud and couldn't help but bear a mischievous smirk. The door opened to let his guards walk in, "What happened? We heard yelling from here."

Their eyes fell upon a broken king piece at their feet, it had been knocked off the checkered board and onto the hard floor. Hiro carefully sat the black chess piece upon the same spot the broken king had occupied.

"Checkmate." he said simply, letting go of his player.

* * *

><p>The body of an arrow sat upon a man's fingers curled around a bow's grip. Sitting between two fingers was the fletching, ready to spring free from the string that it sat mercy to. The user breathed slowly and watched the men talk through the slits of his kitsune mask.<p>

Muscles tightened and relaxed as time passed, sweat barreled down the side of his face, he needed the right opening. _'Now.' _

The arrow sprung free and embedded itself between the two men. Both men jumped back in their chairs, making the glass shatter upon their impact. A cloud of smoke quickly dispersed from the arrow and reached the men first, then it reached the bodyguards. Daisuke slumped forward and fell face first without warning.

Michael slumped to his side with his head lolling off the side of the chair. By the time the smoke had cleared, any living organism near the two men was a sleeping rock. That's exactly how Tadashi needed them anyway. He just needed to check the man for any other information.

'Ronin' came down from his hiding and climbed over the ledge with ease. He looked around for anyone else and instead he found himself alone in the backyard. He gripped his bow in one hand as he made his way towards both of the men. "Alright, let's see wha – " A chemical flurry stopped him in his tracks, encasing his right leg and hip.

He cursed under his breath as his eyes shot up to see Honey already with a bomb in her hand. An arrow was already nocked and pulled as soon as Honey threw her next bomb. He let the arrow fly and rip through the bomb midair. The residue landed atop the biker girl's leg, making her lose balance.

Tadashi smashed the casing around his leg and back-flipped as far as he could. This was bad, he needed to leave. Honey had tossed another bomb at him already, the man rolled out of the way and scrambled to pick himself up.

"Knock him down! But don't hurt him!" Honey shouted, pressing the different choices on her purse. Gogo freed herself from the compound and grabbed the hose that had been lying on the side. She zoomed towards Ronin and sent one of her discs at his feet. Arm met ground as Ronin tumbled and fell on his side.

Still without the blades, Wasabi found a way to contribute. He lunged at the man and pinned him down, but a pair of feet pressed against his chest and pushed him. It sent him flying back and his target free. 'Left.' He raised his arm to block the disc that Gogo tried to return. The black haired woman slid in front of the retreating figure and threw a punch.

Tadashi caught it and quickly dodged the kick she followed up with. He sidestepped and brought an elbow blow to her back, making her stagger forward. Tadashi didn't plan to kill her, but he wasn't going to go down without a fight. "Tadashi stop!" Honey shouted. The problem was that Gogo was too close for her to toss another bomb, she would encase her too.

"Don't move!" a man shouted. Ronin and the rest froze in their steps, who was it? It was Dewitt's special investigations unit, just in time to catch them fighting. Ronin slowly looked over his shoulder to see some agents with their guns drawn.

Fear pricked at his skin, making him feel like a cornered animal. 'Think. Think.' "That's Ronin." one of them noted. He watched the agents slowly approach him with their guns drawn. He would knock them out with the last gas arrow he had. Tadashi quickly ran through his head about the motion he would do.

'_Closer.' _He watched with anxious eyes as they moved in on him. "Do not move. We will shoot." His jaw clenched and he gritted his teeth_. 'Closer.'_ One of the agents motioned to Ronin's hands, "Hands behind your head."

He did as he was told and put his hands behind his head. He felt a hand grab his elbow and turn him to face the suit clad agents. With one fell swoop, he had used his folded hands to pull out an arrow and slam it on the ground. Tadashi had already held his breath and already began to retreat back. The smoke spread was uncontrollably fast, catching the agents off guard.

Shots were fired in Tadashi's direction, afraid that he would attempt to fatally take them down. As he was backtracking, a bullet caught him right in the shoulder muscle and caused him to stagger backwards through the haze. But he dared not take a breath, even from the pain, inhalation would be his failure.

Honey and the others were backing away already, taking the effort to leave before the agents caught onto them as well. Before she climbed over the other side of the fencing, she looked over her shoulder and caught sight of the wounded vigilante. Her chest clenched as she saw the red seep through the dirty white cloth. "Honey!" Wasabi seethed, holding out a hand to her.

Hesitant, but disoriented, she grasped Wasabi's hand. The strong man pulled her over the fence, before she jumped down, she grabbed the camera from the wall.

Luckily, the team had escaped before the next unit came in from the front yard. Utter chaos is what the backyard looked like. "What happened!?" Dewitt shouted, gun raised and eyes peeled. No sign of the other parties. "Check their pulses now!" he barked.

He pointed to the others, "Secure Van Buren and Inigawa! Disarm the bodyguards." They all nodded and immediately ran towards the other party.

The rest ran forward and began checking the unconscious men and women. "They're fine sir, just not conscious." one of them reported. Dewitt leaned over and picked up the smoke arrow and quickly dropped it after he began to feel light headed. He kicked it away and ran a hand on his head. "Damnit." he breathed.

"Alright, let's get our people onto stretchers or something." Dewitt said. He pointed towards the group tending to the bosses, "I want those two in a separate armored vehicle. Bodyguards get shoved in another vehicle."

"Let's go! Let's go! I want this place cleared and taped by the end of the day!" he shouted, striding forward to do his part.

* * *

><p>Hiro looked over his shoulder after the door swung open. His guards beckoned him to follow. "Dewitt just called, you're free to go. Come with us and we'll give you your stuff back." He got up and set his chess piece aside. He was done playing the game for today. They took him to the 'checkout' lobby and handed him his belongings back.<p>

"Thanks, so, I'm guessing I'm going to get bagged again?" They nodded casually and put the black bag over his head. Then he was led to the car and taken out of the base. Hiro was so used to the routine that it was almost disturbing. He was sure he'd eventually be indifferent to being kidnapped by the special investigations unit.

The bag was lifted off his head to reveal O'Connor and Murphy, his guards from before. "Alright, Dewitt said we'll be in touch. You're not completely off the hook, but we got who we wanted."

"Was there anyone else there?" Hiro asked. The two guards looked at one another and nodded. "Yes, but we can't say who. Anyway, here's your stop." O'Conner leaned over and opened the door, he then pushed it to allow him out.

Hiro stepped outside and rubbed his eyes, it felt like he'd been away from the sun for so long. "If you have anything else to tell us, you know what to do." The door closed and the sedan began moving away. Hiro arched his brow, he was standing in front of the burnt down Lucky Cat Café. "Actually, I don't know. But I suppose I'll ask the next time they nab me." he yawned, making his way back towards Fred's house.

* * *

><p>Fred licked his fingers and rummaged in the bag for more Cheesy-Qs. His eyes darted to the door as it opened to reveal a tired looking Honey, Gogo, and Wasabi. "Guys! Bon retour! That's Spanish for welcome back!" he shouted happily. Honey cringed, knowing that it clearly wasn't. They all smiled wearily as he shot forward and attempted to hug all of them at the same time.<p>

"Alright, alright get off – this is getting gross." Gogo sighed, pushing the blond man away. They took their helmets off and went to go change. When they came back, they were dressed in their civilian clothes, looking quite tired. "Fred, please tell me you were able to stream it to the building." Honey sighed, rubbing her legs.

He swiveled his chair and turned the TV on with the remote in his hand. "Why, I thought you'd never ask."

'_Michael Van Buren Under Fire for Assassination Plot'_

Under the main headlines was the sub headlines, one of them which said: _'Daisuke Inigawa Found With Michael Van Buren at Mansion'_

"Well done guys, I saw that from where I was." Their heads whipped around to see the boy in the hooded sweatshirt. "Hiro!" some of them exclaimed, they ran over to the teen and wrapped him in a monstrously strong embrace. "O-okay! Okay! Y-you're killing me." he wheezed.

They let him go and tried not to burst out into laughter, to be back together was what they needed. Well, somewhat back together. He looked around for the marshmallow robot and found him nowhere to be seen. "Where's Baymax?" Hiro asked concernedly.

"Don't worry, Bay is in the hospital. He wanted to make sure Aunt Cass was okay, so he'd go visit and stay until he had to leave – "

"The real question is, where were you?" Wasabi cut in, crossing his arms over his chest. Hiro rubbed the back of his neck and pulled up a chair to plop himself on. "It was Dewitt again. I was jogging near the Lucky Cat and he and the others took me to that bunker place again. I was questioned about Atlas and the Inigawas. I told them where the meeting was."

"Yeah, they arrived just in time to join the party." Gogo said. The amount of sarcastic enthusiasm in her voice was overwhelming. "What happened?" Hiro frowned.

Honey quickly piped in, "They tried to arrest Tadashi. But he slammed one of those knockout gas arrows he had. They shot him, right here." She pointed to her right shoulder. Hiro shot up from his chair, "What?! Where did they – "

"He got away, Hiro." Honey quickly stated, putting her hands on his shoulder. She slowly had him sit down and calm himself. "Wha – well we need to find him. What if he bleeds out?" Hiro asked frantically, trying to sit back up again. Gogo stepped forward and held up a hand, "Calm down first, I'm sure he'll be able to take care of himself, okay?"

Hiro softly gritted his teeth and nodded, he sat himself back down and rubbed his face. "Did he hurt Van Buren and Daisuke?"

"No, Tadashi actually used a smoke bomb. But after that, he started walking towards them. We jumped in to make sure he wouldn't kill them if he was planning to." Honey said. Hiro hoped that whatever was going through Tadashi's mind at the time lacked or had no malicious intent. He still had hope his brother wasn't some bloodthirsty vigilante.

"I just hope he comes back soon." he mumbled. The ordeal was over, Daisuke would be behind bars in no time, and so would Van Buren. So there shouldn't be a reason not to come back, right?

* * *

><p>Pain tolerance was a blessing, but Tadashi's was beginning to reach its limit. He had been shot before, that was a given, but he hadn't been shot in such a long time. This type of pain was now fresh and he'd forgotten how it's felt. Still, he just hoped it wouldn't be his demise. Bleeding out was not the way he wanted to go.<p>

He sat back under the pier and ripped up parts of his costume into strips. Tadashi was surprised at how good it worked, Hiro had chosen a pretty good material. The man began wrapping his shoulder up to stop the blood flow. The bullet was still lodged in his skin. How deep? He didn't know. But he knew that he shouldn't waste time waiting around.

The vigilante dressed into whatever clothes he had in his bag and made his way to closest pharmacy store. It was uncomfortable to walk around with such a wound, he also felt a bit nauseated. _'Gauze bandages. Pain medication. Tweezers.' _Tadashi kept his head low and his hood fastened to his head as he walked into the store.

He only had twenty-four dollars in hand, he hoped it would get him what he needed. If he didn't have this money, he surely would've ended up shoplifting. It would never cross his mind as the first solution, but it was a secondary solution.

Shelf to shelf, Tadashi grabbed anything he needed. He was beginning to break into some shakes, his fingertips were awfully cold. "Not good, not good." he muttered. Tadashi stopped in his tracks and grabbed two water bottles from the freezer. He plopped everything onto the counter of the register.

"Hi, will that be all?"

"Yes." he sighed.

"The total is $19.35. Would you like to donate to the San Fransokyo Children's Foundation?" Tadashi made a noise in the back of his throat, a high pitch gurgle wasn't usually a good response. He nodded slowly and pulled out the rest of the money he had. "Here, $19.35 and the rest is for the donation." he mumbled.

He slipped a heart slip from the side and a pen. "You can put your name here." Tadashi took the pen and quickly scribbled 'Tadashi H.' onto it and handed it to him. "Did you want your receipt?" the male cashier asked. Tadashi shook his head and thanked the man after grabbing the bag.

He shuffled out into the street and made his way back towards his temporary home. 'I feel miserable.' The man pulled his makeshift hammock from its post and laid it out on the ground. He pulled his shirt off and took out the tweezers from the bag. "Please, let this not be more painful than it already is." he softly groaned.

Icy fire burned through his body as he attempted to pull the bullet out. He bit the bottom of his lip so hard it seemed that he drew blood. Tadashi took in deep breaths and continued to slowly pull the bullet out. Every movement sent wildfire through his nerves and blood had begun to gush out in small amounts.

Finally, he pulled out the projectile after seeing the butt of it come out. He set it aside and ran quickly began to open the water bottle he bought. Tadashi poured it over his wound and pressed the bandage onto his wound. He wrapped as much as he could to stop the bleeding, programming Baymax with all of those procedures paid off. Tadashi almost knew what to do in any situation.

He unscrewed the cap of the acetaminophen – codeine and pulled out two tablets. Tadashi couldn't exactly tell how many milligrams the container said, so he broke the second one in half with his trembling hands. He popped them in his mouth and took a swig of water. "Oh man." he shivered, rubbing his shoulder.

The cold night's air pressed against his cold skin, making him shiver in response. He pulled the bloodied shirt over his head and slipped his jacket on. Tadashi could already feel the effects of the painkiller. He kept the duffel bag of his equipment close as he laid down.

Blurry and heavy eyes slowly lulled him to sleep. The ache on his shoulder was now just merely a tingling sensation. His body felt heavy in the best way possible, he'd always fall asleep tense, but the pain reliever was relaxing his muscles. In the back of his thoughts, he wanted to celebrate their victory.

He wanted to go home and sit next to all of his friends in family. Victories were short lived right now, the fight wasn't over. He needed to stop the last attempt before it happened. Then maybe, he could sit beside everyone and have it all.

"Goodnight." he mumbled to no one as his cognac eyes hid behind lids.

* * *

><p>One last act, well sort of. I hope the whole meeting stream sounded right, the camera essentially was like a GoPro camera. If you've seen them, they're small mounted cameras that record. Except the camera they were using sends the video to the receiving end, which was Fred's device. The chip that would usually be in Hiro's helmet is the one Fred has, the data is just funneled to the console in the building, which just replaces the video on the screens around the building. I originally wanted them to hijack the SFNN airwave, but I was reading into that and saw that it was quite a serious offense. What Fred did is a crime on a lesser basis, I think. So of the two, I chose the lesser.<p> 


	23. Endgame

I owe an apology. In fact, I owe many things to you all. But an apology is where I'll begin. This release of the chapter has taken longer than, much longer, than usual. I got really addicted to Tumblr, long story short. It's just been a really fun week or two. But that doesn't justify this at all in one bit. So, it's my sincerest apology to you all, especially to the people who supported me for so long. So, thank you for sticking with me this whole time. I had conflictions with this chapter to that I never thought I'd be so bothered about. It's at the end of this story, read up until the end if you wish.

* * *

><p>Days were supposed to only last for hours, right? It felt like years for some of the team members. Hiro had been patiently waiting for this brother's return, but found no one knocking at their door. He was scared to find out one day that he had actually died, that he was rotting in some hole or unknown place. More than anyone, he knew his brother's tenacity to live was godlike, but that didn't make him immune.<p>

But the team didn't dwell on their victories or worries, the city was still teeming with everyday crime. Hiro began to slowly piece together his academic life again, he had a lot of catching up to do.

Questions were thrown his way about what had happened, he simply gave them a lie in place. In order for him to make up everything he's missed, he had been recommended to work through his future breaks and begin multiple robotics projects. Hiro's mind felt a bit dull, out of place even. It would take time for him to readjust.

Baymax watched over Cass, Hiro would video in through Baymax's screen just to 'visit' her. There would be days where he wouldn't be able to visit. However, the nurse bot kept a close eye on her and that was enough comfort for him.

The rest of the team went business as usual, school was no different and they slowly eased back into their student life. They weren't as gone as much as Hiro was, so they found themselves asked about what had happened to the young Hamada boy. Some speculated it was his relapse into grief about Tadashi.

Whatever, they thought, Hiro didn't bother with. He kept himself busy with his latest project, throwing out ideas on a piece of paper or on a board. Tadashi would have done the same if he wasn't there, he just took that into account.

Undoubtedly, life was hard for him in the past few months. The struggles took a toll on him mentally and emotionally. But here he was sitting in his lab room, working on a project. The sound of clicking heels was muffled by the door, but soon became audible when the door opened. "Hiro?" the Latina asked. Hir glanced over his shoulder and shot a tired smile.

"Hey Honey, what's up?" he asked, setting his screwdriver down. "Well, I was asking if you wanted to see the celebration tomorrow. The others already agreed to." Honey asked, placing her hands behind her back.

Hiro rubbed the side of his neck, "How long will it be?"

The blonde tilted her head and thought about it, "Only an hour I think." Honey's eyes lit up and she clasped her hands together, "Besides, the cherry blossoms are beautiful this time of the year."

That sold it for him, he couldn't say no to his friend who look so excited. "Alright, I'll go."

Honey shot forward and enveloped Hiro in a tight embrace. "Great! The others are going to be so happy!" she squealed. He laughed as she pulled away, her happiness was contagious. It'd be a lie if he said he didn't like seeing it everyday.

"How's your Aunt Cass?" she asked him suddenly.

"She's okay, doctor Peterson said she's stable and is showing signs of brain activity. Did you know Baymax actually pointed out that she was showing brain activity?" She could see it, the happiness and pride swam in his eyes.

"That's amazing!" she stated, to see her friend elated lifted her up. A comfortable silence fell between the two, both were thinking about the second individual missing from their lives. Hiro's eyes shot back up to his chemist friend as she joined her hands together.

"Okay, I'm going to head back. I got some chemical decomposition and polymerization experiments to finish! My gosh – Hiro, you _have_ to see it later, you're going to _love_ it." Honey sang happily.

The black haired teen shot her an approving grin, "I'll be there Honey, count on it." The blonde left him to his devices and attended back to her work, he wrinkled his nose and smiled as he glanced at his work. It was coming together, he was rebuilding a new and better robot.

"Hopefully you won't have Atlas' tragic end." he said out of thin air. Yes, he would do his best to make sure the robot would be incorruptible. One failure wouldn't stop him, he would endure, just like he has in the past.

So, like always, he endured another day.

* * *

><p>Today was the day.<p>

This was the final stretch. After this, it was all over. He could go home after and make amends. At least he hoped he could. For now here he was, back to where he started, in his old warehouse. His old workbench had been ransacked and looted for all its precious parts.

He sat himself down and folded his legs beneath him. Was he afraid? Of course. Tadashi closed his eyes and took the time to relax.

Once more _into_ the fray.

Some of the microbots on his support system was missing, they had either been lost or broken. It would give out soon, he could feel it. He was literally on his last legs.

Tadashi stood up and began changing into his new clothes. He knew how guarded the ceremony would be, he needed to change into different clothes. Ever since the plot against Yamada was revealed, the city notified that the ceremony will have police at the scene.

Not only did that happen, Van Buren's headquarters were raided in broad daylight. All of his M5s put into decommission and queued for scrapping, at least most of them. The main man himself was taken into custody and would be put up for hearing. As for Daisuke Inigawa, he was already put into Black Dolphin's maximum security sector until a proper trial was scheduled.

He had fashioned himself a new weapon in the meantime. The contraption was essentially a mini crossbow at its very core. However he had fashioned it to be compact and practically undetectable unless seen closely. He didn't include any metal and fashioned everything with other materials.

He made the smallest bolts he could fashion out of his bow and remaining arrows. Dismantled and taken apart, most of his old gear was invested in this new one.

It wasn't much, but it would work for the target he was tracking. Van Buren had one last outlier out of his robotic police force, if plan A had failed, plan B would still go on. That included a concealed bot waiting to spring onto Yamada. It sounded like a primitive plan, but he was fully aware the bot wouldn't end up at the festival without the help of other people.

Tadashi cut his preparations short when he realized how much time he had left. So without a moment to lose, the vigilante made his way towards the ceremony. What surprised him was the amount of people that came to the ceremony. Instead of the number decreasing, the attendees have tripled it seems.

He could only speculate why this was the outcome, one of them being outpouring support for the mayor. Regardless, the noise was somewhat deafening. He could already see armed police officers around the area. To actually get into the ceremony, people were filtered through a checkpoint.

Hands up and pockets overturned. The man at the checkpoint patted him down quickly and did a metal scanning. "You're good." he lazily waves him off. Tadashi continued into the main yard where the speech would take place. He pulls the white cover of his hoodie jacket over his head and places his hands in his pockets.

Walk. He began walking on, inconspicuously watching the surroundings and the people. Meandering around people as if he was busy was easy, the politeness in the atmosphere was incredible. This allowed him to get to stand right at the front.

It was a special day for many here, the commemoration marked the beginning of a new city full of new dreams. It was also the celebration of the city's success in merging two cultures thousands of miles apart into one place. For him, he enjoyed the day for what it was.

Tadashi lowers his hood and secures a beanie on his head, he was already at the front, no need to draw attention. He didn't look behind him, but he could tell that it was beginning once Yamada was on his way to the stage. The mayor was a stout man, the years certainly wore on him, but he had the face of a man you could trust.

His appearance reflected his political personality, a man of the people and of experience. Beyond that, Tadashi didn't know. However, regardless of who was up there, he would do what he believed was right. Finally, the question came into light, how would he escape?

He wouldn't, that was the idea he accepted long before this day came. There wasn't always going to be a sure-fire way out, especially with the situation he was in. Bringing the others in to help him was just going to create an even bigger problem.

What made him nervous was that this was the point where he couldn't predict what would happen. Would he end up being incarcerated for a long time? Would he die? What if he failed? In front of him was a thick cloud of fog and he didn't know what was on the other side. Regardless, he's always taken a leap of faith, this might as well be his last one.

He stood there within the rest of the crowd, listening to the mayor. Except he was more so watching his surrounds. Then he sees it, behind the stand-up curtains, stage, and seated politicians was two men carrying a box in. How did they get past the checkpoint? It wasn't clear, but he had spotted a pair of IDs on their chest.

However, specific ID cards in San Fransokyo had a certain color for certain authority, their stripes happened to be teal blue, government employees. The men set the box down next to the stage and humbly make their way out. His eyes watch the other side of the stage suspiciously, was that all?

"San Fransokyo has had its bleakest days in the year, but we've scraped the gray skies clean every time…" Tadashi feels a prickling sensation in the back of his neck, he had been watching the box that was brought in this whole time. Finally, it was picked up and brought onto the stage.

"Finally, we'd like to take this time to thank police commissioner Victor Rodriguez and Lieutenant Davy Carter. Both of these men served the people of San Fransokyo well during the January Blackout. They mobilized our men and women to best safeguard the citizens and dealt with the problem face to face."

Shinji walks over to the box that was taller than he was and placed his hand atop of it. The commissioner and lieutenant both walk to the stage to receive their award. "We'd like to give you a plaque and as well as in here is paper cranes, all made by young volunteers of the schools around San Fransokyo."

His hands curl around the box and slowly slides the box open. But what comes out of it is hundreds of paper cranes, and one of Van Buren's robots. At that moment, Tadashi has already pulled himself over the railing.

The mayor stumbles back and falls onto his back as the robot breaks free from the box. A bullet its it right in the shoulder and bounces right off, bulletproof plating. Police scramble to get to Yamada, but the robot was too close for them to shoot at him. There was a likelihood of a stray bullet hitting the mayor.

The crowd was in panic, many began running away already. People were scared and even more confused after the shot. The mayor barely dodges the hand that comes down through the wooden stage. He stumbles over the now empty chairs and is tackled by the M5.

Tadashi was already on the stage with his hood up, quickly, he uses his momentum to knock the robot off the stage. Both of them tumble and take the cloth above them right off its hinges.

_Riiip. _ He can't see, what's going on but he feels a heavy blow on his face.

He kicks the robot off himself and scrambles out of the sheet's chaotic embrace. Tadashi stumbles and looks over his shoulders to find the M5 ripping itself out.

The midnight and faceless head of the M5 immediately turns towards the mayor, who was now being escorted away.

Tadashi runs towards it and activates the crossbow around his wrist, it expands and the mechanism pushes a bolt into place. He elbows the M5 in the face and jams the weapon right into its circuit. The bolt rips through the wires and makes it ferociously jam its curled fists into his side.

It knocks the air out of him and he loses his grip, the robot head-buts the vigilante three times and tackles him. The man had cut a central part of the M5's processing unit, now it was just a haywire robot.

Blood, he was bleeding from a wound on his head. At the same time his head was pounding because the pain stemming from the impact. Still, he manages to press his foot against the robot's chests and pushes it off. He feels his legs give way, the microbots were giving up. Tadashi uses a good portion of it to launch himself at the bot.

_Click._ The bolt was loaded and so he presses his palm against one of the cracks in its armor. He lets the bolt fly. Except it doesn't. The crossbow had jammed.

_Click. Click. Click. _

The robot knees him right in the ribs, making him fall over. It grabs him by the back of his collar and his pants leg, then swings him in one go.

He feels the cool grass greet the side of his face, then he continues to tumble down the side of the hill. The robot follows after him with a lunge bent on breaking his head on impact. He rolls away just in time and grabs his bearings.

"Open fire!" Three officers begin to shoot at the robotic juggernaut, pelting it with bullets out of fear. Bullets fly everywhere as the robot attempts to still go after Tadashi, who was now backing away.

_Once more into the fray._

As the man was about to turn around and leave, he feels a sharp pain rip through his shoulder and stomach. The impact sends him falling back.

A loud _'bzzt'_ resounds in his ears as his vision blurs. "It worked!" a man screams. "Move! Get a paramedic! The special units team will take it from here. We have a civilian down!"

Tadashi's vision is obscured by a man in a suit looking down on him. "Special Agent Frank Dewitt, can you tell me your name?"

He squints as he holds his side. What did he say? He couldn't tell. Name. What was his name? "Tadashi."

_Into the last good fight I ever know._

Dewitt looks stunned for a moment, then he looks around quickly. "Medic, here, now!" He winces as the man presses a hand against his wounds. Tadashi lets out a yelp as he feels the wound wreak pain through his nerves.

"I have to hold the bleeding, son. You'll be fine, stay awake." He doesn't hear the words that Dewitt is telling him. The world is beginning to fade, but he tries to fight against it. The microbots around his legs were just rolling down the side of the hill now, dead and powerless.

_Live and die on this day, live and die on this day._

Tadashi just tells himself one thing.

'_I don't want to die like this.'_

Some people wanted to die looking at the beautiful blue sky. But not him, he wanted to his loved ones first. The last thing he didn't want to remember was to see an empty sky. Anything but empty.

Tears mix and mingle with the blood that came down from his head wound. He grits his blood stained teeth and lets out a frustrated cry lose from his bleeding lips.

'_I don't want to die.'_

Be calm. Inhale.

He tries. _It hurts._

Be gentle. Exhale.

He does. _It hurts._

If today is as bad as it gets, it would have ended by tomorrow. Let go.

He does. _It doesn't hurt anymore._

Then, he hears it. "Tadashi!" He wasn't Ronin. He wasn't just another tragedy. "Tadashi!" He wasn't some martyr or hero. He was someone who just wanted to do good on his own for the longest time.

Be good. _He is._

* * *

><p>Hiro's scream shattered the heavens as police officers hold him back. He wasn't the only one struggling against the others. "Get back!" they screamed. He needed to get to his brother, he wouldn't let this happen. He wouldn't lose him again.<p>

But it gets to him, to see his brother like that, his knees give in and he slacks against the officers. He cries just like he did the day of the fire. But he cries harder, he saw the tears from his eyes and the way he looked. He didn't want to die.

A paramedic team maneuvers around them as they pull Tadashi's limp body up onto a stretcher. He pushes away from the officers and follows the paramedics. His legs were too weak, they gave in and he falls on his knees.

Hiro presses his face into the cold grass and cries. His fingers curl and suffocate the unfortunate blades of grass that fell under his palms. The smell of grass, it was supposed to signify a new season. Of life. But at the same time, he remembers this smell.

It was the same smell he had under his nose at Tadashi's funeral. The smell of grass on a rainy day, here it was back to greet him.

Sirens call out to him in the distance, taunting him, the same sirens he heard at the say of the fire.

"Stop." he pleads.

"Please."

But they don't stop, until they finally fade away and all he's left with is voices. Empty, ceaseless voices that don't tell him anything. They bring him no comfort. They bring him no peace. Hiro presses his palms against his ears and shuts his eyes.

Arms encircle him in a makeshift shelter, the familiar embrace of his friends. But the shelter aches just like he does, it shakes and creaks against the wind. So he waits out the storm and takes care of his shelter just like any good person does, because they took care of him. He tells himself that he and the others would endure.

Just like how they've endured before.

* * *

><p>This was originally how I wanted the story to end, with Tadashi's death. But I felt like it just didn't do it justice, to just leave it like that and walk away. The way I had him die just wasn't good for me, I couldn't just walk around it too and have him go unscathed. It was short too, that I don't know if I felt any better about. But I'm still here sitting and I'm not walking away yet, if you still want me to put out an epilogue, I will happily do so.<p>

It's weird to think that this story just put me off, I put myself off, it's one of the reasons why I've avoided it for so long because I honestly disappointed myself. But anyway, yes, if you want an epilogue, I'd happily continue one last time.


	24. Beginning

I apologize again for that ending, I got so many heartbreaking messages I literally could not stand the fact I even published that. But hey, hopefully I'll redeem myself here. First things first, user "Kyo" pointed out a good thing I should address, that I miscalculated the number of years by an embarrassing 1 year. But the years still stay as stands, Tadashi has been gone for 3 years. Thank you though, I needed to know that anyway. Also, thank you to "Homura chan" for clearing the hydrocodone mistake I made, much appreciated!

* * *

><p>"Checkmate."<p>

A frustrated groan escapes the robotics student that is soon muffled by his face in his hands. Hiro sucked in his breath and sighs. "Better luck next time, Hiro." his opponent says.

"I can't believe I fell for that move." he said dejectedly. Hiro clears the board again and begins to set the pieces up once more. "One more time, please? Come on, it was working the first few turns."

His opponent shoos his hand towards him. "No, you said _three_ games. Not four. We're done here." Hiro frowns and flicks a piece at the other person's head.

"Really? Is that the way to treat a hospital patient?"

"I don't know, you sure don't look that hospitalized to me. I'm starting to think you just want to stay here more for the free care."

The chess winner flicks the piece right back and hits Hiro square on the forehead, it lands into the target's hands. "Really?" the victim scowls.

"None of this is free care, doofus."

"Even when you're hurt, you're still a jerk." the 19 year old rolls his eyes. He begins to put the chess pieces away and folds the board up with it. He places them all in his bag and pushes it to the side. Silence falls over the two of them as they look out the window. Two weeks since the incident felt like years to the teen.

"They know, Hiro." the man said with gravity.

"Well, they were bound to find out sooner or later."

"Yeah, but it feels a bit too soon. Couldn't it have been next year? Or well- _never_?" The teen smiles in response and shakes his head, indicating that it wasn't that easy.

"I'm not even who they think I am."

Hiro creases his brows together and watched the figure on the bed. A hint of sadness and doubt lingered upon the individual's expression. He leans forward and places a hand upon the messy black hair.

"You're Tadashi Hamada. You're my brother. You're a hero. Let go, okay?" Hiro smiles, ruffling his brother's hair. The older Hamada shot him a crooked smile and nods in silent agreement. His brother was right, still, there were things he did that he wished he didn't.

"But those things I- "

"Ronin did them. Not you. Ronin killed them, not Tadashi Hamada." his brother cuts in. Tadashi bit the bottom of his lip and let his lips twitch into a smile. The younger sibling leans over and pulls him into a tight embrace.

"You can start where you left off. It's not too late."

Tadashi nods and pats his brother's back, "Yeah, it's not too late."

"Oh, Honey wanted me to give you something." The 21 year old's brow shot up as he pulled back and watched his brother with curiosity. Hiro rummaged through his pack and pulled out his rolled San Fransokyo Ninjas hat.

"Did she say anything?" he questions, taking the hat from HIro's hands. He gets a shrug as an answer.

Tadashi peered inside and saw a single short red string. His heart drops and his chest becomes heavy. Fingers wrap around the strong string, he could see that a part of it was cut. Instead of throwing it away, he ties it around his pinky finger.

Hiro smiles bitterly and places his hand upon Tadashi's shoulder. "She still cares, she's just not ready." The tired man nods with his eyes fixated upon the string. He places the cap over his head and leans his head back. He felt the same way, he wasn't ready. The night that he said goodbye was something he could never take back.

"I'll wait for her. For as long as it takes." Tadashi smiles, looking at his wall. Hiro nods and pats his arms reassuringly. There wasn't much to be said about the matter, it was all up to Honey. He could just provide consolation for his brother.

Hiro leans against his knees and purses his lips. "I'm glad you're alive. I'm glad you saved the mayor. But, why didn't you just ask us?"

The older Hamada's cognac eyes glanced over to this brother, "I didn't want you all to get involved. You guys deserve a rest. Not only that, I knew how it would end one way or another. I- I wouldn't risk any of you for that."

His brother sighs and throws his brother a gratuitous smile, "Thanks, Dashi." A brow arches in response, it was a nickname he hasn't heard in a long while. But he pays no mind and accepts it nonetheless.

"Anything for you and the others, bonehead." The sound in the room reduced to a gentle hum of the machines around them. They had nothing else left to say to one another, nothing left to do.

"Alright, Tadashi, I think I've overstayed my welcome. I have to check on Aunt Cass and Baymax anyway. Sit tight, okay? Just rest for now and worry about yourself."

Tadashi is left with a simple parting embrace from his young brother, then is left with his thoughts after he leaves. San Fransokyo had headlines all over the news about him, the man who lived and died another day. Except he ended up living again, some called it a miracle or almost supernatural. But he had the media abuzz and in a frenzy about what happened to him.

He got both supporters and skeptics alike, some call him a hero and some call him an enigma. The door to his room opens and a man in a suit comes in. It was the man who was kneeled over him, special agent Dewitt. "Tadashi." he nods.

"Evening, Mr. Dewitt." the man replies. His brown eyes watch as he sits himself onto the chair beside his head. He rubs his hands together and clasped them as if he was trying to let his words fall into place. The man takes out a closed folder and hands it to Tadashi.

"I'm sure you're well aware of how the city is treating your image right now." Tadashi nods to the man as he opens the yellowish pocket.

"Hiro asked me to help you. Now, your brother has done a lot of for our agency, he's assisted us multiple times. So I'm willing to offer you a scapegoat for the not so pleasant things you've done in the past." the man says, meeting the Hamada in the eye.

Dewitt watches him take out a packet of papers with a badge and ID on it. "What do you mean?" the patient asks.

The agent had the room checked earlier in case of any bugs or of any other possible surveillance. "We come out into the light and say you were one of our agents. Building those weapons and working with the Inigawas was part of the extensively planned sting operation. That's the basics at least."

"You'd take a blow for me?" Tadashi questions, running a finger down the badge. The ID had his name and his face upon it, everything legitimized.

"Yeah well- you, your brother, and your friends have taken a lot of blows for us. I guess call it a favor, if it'll help restore your life. We've looked over the Inigawa's records of you being tortured as well, we know that you didn't want to build for them. We all have to do things we don't want to do in those situations. It's inevitable."

Silence befalls the two parties as the agent watches Tadashi comprehend his information. He had fallen into a deep thought, till he met his eyes again.

"What about saving the mayor?"

"That's all you, we say that after the sting was completed and you helped us catch Daisuke and Michael, you catch wind of another trail and pursue it on your own. We have you classified under the AEGIS program, which means you're an agent that has an extra set of … guidelines. Or parameters." Dewitt explains.

"So I go _rogue_?"

"Essentially, which is why we classified you under AEGIS. It'll still fall upon us, media loves to root out the source. But we'll take care of it, no doubt." the dark skinned man says. Tadashi places his hand over his mouth and squeezes his cheeks as he thinks. "What happens after, wouldn't I be in danger?"

"Yes, you'll still be in danger. But it's this or we get you a new name. The alternative is, you disappear again and reemerge as a different person. New name, possibly new face, and new background. We lay Tadashi Hamada." Dewitt says.

The older brother frowns and thinks it over. He breathed in a gently sigh, trying to find the best solution. It was time to face it, to stop running away from his shadows. Tadashi needed to face who he was, not turn away from it.

"I want to keep my family safe. But, me as an agent, wouldn't that put them in danger too?" he wonders.

Dewitt wrings his hand, fixing the cuffs on his suit as he thinks about it. "We'll keep them protected. The Hamada family will be under our protection. We won't sit outside of your house in black surveillance vans or sedans, but we'll keep tabs on a lighter basis."

"Will I still be classified as an agent after the ordeal?"

Dewitt plays with his fingers and purses his lips, "If you wish to be. If you're ever interested, our offer still stands. You won't be an immediate field agent, but you'll be working the desk jobs first. But you do have a special set of talents, brilliant mind and a brilliant fighter."

Tadashi nods and smiles, thinking about finally finding a job or a living for himself. "And Ronin?"

"He's another person, unless you want to take credit for Ronin." The agent saw him shake his head and took that as an indication to let the name be. "No, I'd rather let him be another person who just faded away."

Dewitt nods and lets Tadashi give him the packet full of his 'history' with the agency. "Hopefully after all this media wildfire blows over, you can continue what you want to do."

"I hope so too." The two part and Tadashi lets his mind settle upon everything that has happened up until now.

* * *

><p>The next day arrives and Tadashi is still stuck in his room due to the gunshot injuries. Either way, he lapsed into pain every now and then, moving around wasn't ideal. Confined to a bed made him quite the unhappy fellow, so he was left to brood while he sat out the effects of his medication. The door had opened and he didn't even turn his head away from the window.<p>

"Tadashi." His eyes widened and he whipped his head around so hard he swore he could of killed himself.

"Honey." he whispers, breath hitching. The strawberry blonde woman shot him a small smile and tucked a strand behind her ear. "How are you feeling?" she questions calmly.

He rubs his jaw and carefully shrugs as to not hurt himself. "Hanging in there. As always."

The woman rubs her eyes and sighs heavily, he could tell that she had been crying. The question laid in the word of 'why'. He's brows crease in uncertain concern as he watched her take the time to compose herself. "I would hug you right now- actually I want to slap you." she confessed, voice unwavering.

Tadashi smileed and leaned his face over. "Here, I know you want to."

She raised her hand and he squeezed his eyes shut. But what came was a gently caress to his face, her hand gently cupped his jawline. Slowly he opens his eyes and feels her forehead against his. "I hate you Tadashi Hamada."

"I love you too, Honey Lemon." he whispers, warmth filling his brown orbs. The woman bit the bottom of her lip and used her other hand to fully hold his face in her hands. "You make me so angry."

"You make me so happy." he counters. Honey closes her eyes and lets her brows crease. "I hate how you're so stubborn."

"I love how you're so persistent."

"I hate how I use hate."

"Then use love." he coaxes softly.

She moved her head up and pressed a kiss atop of the bridge of his nose, "I love how I love you, Tadashi."

A childish grin breaks out upon his face as he levels his eyes with hers. "I love how I love you too, Honey." Lips to lips, heart to heart, Honey leans in and pulls his entire being to her like gravity.

Tadashi's heart rate monitor began to beep like mad, making him gently laugh against her lips. "Unbelievable." she whispers, sealing their lips again. A nurse came through the door, thinking that the patient was in trouble to only find the two. "Oh!- Sorry, uh." The nurse awkwardly stepped around the couple and fixed the monitor.

Honey broke the kiss and stared at the man in front of her. She shakily inhaled and exhaled as she began to recover from what happened. It had been a long time since the two were even this close, it made the longing in their hearts even stronger.

Tadashi's dumbfounded expression turned into a wide smile as he stared back at her. "Wow." The beeping and the nurse was lost to the two of them as the feeling of the night they first kissed rekindled itself.

"Mr. Hamada, you need to calm down. Your monitor is going nuts." the nurse frowns.

Tadashi breaks his gaze and clamps his mouth shut, "Sorry, sorry." He slowly breathed in and out in an attempt to let his beats calm. Eventually it returned to its normal pace and the rate monitor was no longer sounding like a cheap bomb sound.

The nurse left the two alone and went back to her work. After the door shut, the two exploded into laughter. It didn't last long as Tadashi winced and began holding his side. "Ow, ow, ow." he groaned, trying to stop his laughing. A concerned look overcame the female as she pursed her lips to stop herself from continuing.

"No laughing for now, huh?" she wonders. Tadashi nods painfully in response. He sighs and presses himself into the bed. After a while, pain goes away and his expression is replaced with adoration. "So, are we still- you know, _together_?"

Honey slipped her hand in his and gave it a soft squeeze. "We never were apart in the first place." His eyes land upon the red string upon her pinky finger. Tadashi's mouth slowly opened as he eyed the ornament.

He watched Honey use her free hand to tie both of their red strings together in a knot. They silently meet each other's gaze, neither space nor time could separate them, bound to one another by a single crimson string.

"You're stuck with me from now on."

Honey rolls her eyes and locks his finger with hers, "As if I have a choice. Besides, I wouldn't have it any other way."

Before Honey could speak again, Tadashi quickly cuts in, "Honey, I'm sorry." The chemist tilts her head in confusion. "Sorry?"

He used his free hand to rub the back of his neck, having a regretful look upon his features. "For leaving you, for not listening to what you said-"

"Tadashi you saved the mayor, whatever you did that night or the days after, you did it for the good of it." she cuts in.

"Yeah but, what I said to you before- I'm sorry. I still can't walk away from that." Honey slowly nods, understanding what he meant. She squeezed his hand again, "Walk away from it now. You're starting again." Tadashi nods.

"Did anyone tell you about the agency?" he asks. She shakes her head in response. He began to explain everything that Dewitt said to him, trying his best to make her understand. After he told her everything, she already looked quite elated.

"That's fantastic! They're offering you a job too." she said excitedly. "I'm so happy for you."

"Me too." he smiled shortly. Honey's eyes lit up, she had remembered, "I have fantastic news for you too."

"What's that?"

"Donations from around your community and from around the city are being used to rebuild The Lucky Cat Café and the other two stories." Honey bounced, holding his hand in hers. "That's amazing." he breathed, he never would of thought. It wouldn't be the same of course, but the Lucky Cat was his aunt's pride and joy aside from raising them.

She ran that café ever since, he was happy she could have it back at the very least. The two talked and talked, the dynamic they had before slowly returned. Honey could see it in his eyes, he was back to his old self. The way he talked had that charisma and charm that he always portrayed so humbly well.

"You need rest." Honey noted, seeing how half lidded his eyes had become.

"But I want to talk more." Tadashi's brows wrinkled together. She smiled and pressed a kiss on his forehead. "I know, we will after you're ready to leave." Honey untied the string from her pinky and held it up to him. "You're going to bed, right? Pinky promise?"

The twenty one year old chuckled, he wrapped his finger around her own. "Pinky promise." Before the strawberry blonde had a chance to get up and go, Tadashi gently tugged at her sleeve.

"Hey, when I get out, can I still stay with you?" he wonders, voice slowly getting softer. Honey nods and took out her car keys, she unhooked her spare apartment key and took his hand. "I have all your things still there, come back when you're ready, okay?"

Tadashi nods with a smile as Honey leaned in to give him one final kiss on the lips. "Be good, don't give the nurses a hard time." she nudged. A laugh escaped the man as he watched her leave and disappear behind the closed door. "I will." he chuckled, leaning back.

It was a good day. He'd admit it.

* * *

><p>Eventually, Tadashi did get out of the hospital. Of course, he was trailed by some press and media but he kept himself at bay and simply didn't say anything. The talking was mostly done by Dewitt and the others, he said a few things but really couldn't say much. People figured he was still recovering and was still a bit traumatized.<p>

Life didn't begin to settle until a good 4 months after the incident during the ceremony. Van Buren Manufacturing was put out of business and Krei Tech Industries moved back into San Fransokyo, proving itself to be the better of the two companies.

Hiro, Wasabi, Honey, Fred, and Gogo all continued their school in SFIT. Tadashi began reapplying for SFIT, working on his own project to get reaccepted into the school. He was going to present at the tech showcase at the end of the year. The memorial hall under Tadashi's name stayed as is, he was being hailed even more of a hero after the incident.

* * *

><p>"Can we come in to see her? Please?" the older Hamada asked the nurse. The employee quickly peeked her head into the room and then nodded. She motioned the two boys to come into the hospital room.<p>

Hiro and Tadashi quickly hurried inside, immediately seeing a small crowd of hospital staffers. "She was just asking for you two." the doctor smiled. They moved out of the way to let the boys see their aunt for the first time.

"Oh, look at you two. Don't cry, come here." Cass cooed. Immediately the two boys ran to each of her side and wrapped her in a careful embrace. She laughed weakly and pulled the brothers closer to her. "Thank you for taking care of me."

"Baymax took care of you too. He was allowed to stay here almost all day." Hiro mumbled, pressing his face into her shoulder. "He did? Where is he?"

A beeping echoed from the other side of the room as Baymax's charging station opened to let the robot expand. "I am here aunt Cass." the robot answers, making a small wave. Cass stifled a small and tired laugh as the huggable robot waddled over. "Thank you Baymax." she smiles. The robot leaned over and pulled all three into a small hug. "It is all okay now."

The doctor and nurses all began to leave the room to give the family some space. "I'm sorry I didn't get to you in time aunt Cass." Tadashi sighed, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. He felt so relieved to see his aunt awake and doing fine. "What do you mean?" Cass asks, fixing Tadashi's hair.

"He ran into the fire to save you." Hiro answered, sitting up from his chair.

"But I hesitated and I was a bit late. You could have died because of me." the older one interjected, looking quite glum.

Cass kissed his forehead and sighed with a smile, "You saved me, Tadashi. I didn't die. I'm alive and we all are. That's all that matters now." Tadashi met eyes with his aunt and let a worn smile grace his features. "Yeah, that's all that matters."

"Now, we just have to find a new home, it's a – "

Hiro cut in, "No, actually. The community and some other donators around the city are chipping in to rebuild the café and the rest of the stories. Even Fred donated so much, I was so stunned. Me and Tadashi said no at first, but he really pushed for it."

Cass looked stunned, eyes wide and mouth open. "Can we see it?" Tadashi shook his head and chuckled, "Not yet aunt Cass, they're still building it. But Hiro, Baymax, and I have been helping with rebuilding it too."

The Hamada guardian gently pinched the cheeks of her nephews, "I love you three so much. I can't – Mochi, wait, what happened to Mochi?"

"Mochi is fine, he's been living like a pampered cat in Fred's mansion. I think he got a bit bigger than before." Hiro smiled. The woman sighed in relief and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I need a haircut too. I do not look good with long hair."

"We can take you the parlor after you recover. You look a bit too thin." Tadashi says.

Baymax nods and let the projection come to his screen, "Aunt Cass needs to change her diet to the following to regain her previous body weight."

"You heard the doctor." Hiro snickered. Cass gently patted the robot's stomach, "Alright Baymax, you're in charge."

"There's a cafeteria, I can go get you food." Tadashi piped in.

"I'll go with you, it's okay – "

"Wait, aunt Cass, you can't just get up – "

"Watch me Hiro Hamada, there is no way I'm sitting in bed anymore." the woman frowned. "You heard her." Tadashi stifled a laugh.

"O-okay okay, let me get your wheelchair." Hiro whined.

* * *

><p>Within the same year, the Lucky Cat Café was rebuilt. Many members of the community helped rebuilt the café. This included students from SFIT and as well as Hiro and the others. Cass was able to get new equipment for the kitchen and even a new paintjob for the café. The stories above was restored to the original layout it had. All that was missing was furniture for the brother's room.<p>

At the reopening day, the café was crowded with people from all around the city. Volunteers from SFIT worked in the kitchen, whipping up pastries for the customers. Except Cass had made it free for the public, there was a donation on the side in case anyone did want to give. The day was packed, the following days were no different.

* * *

><p>"This is the seventy-fifth test of my robotics project." Tadashi sighs, sitting himself down. He raises the remote in his hands and one of the buttons. Nothing. He drops his head and rubs his eyes in slight frustration.<p>

"Okay, no response this time. I must have done something wrong." Tadashi stood up and walked over to the Baymax clone. He then took out the chip and rolled his wheelchair over to his desk. The door opened to the garage, "I was looking for you, and it's already so late."

Tadashi looks over his shoulders to see Honey walking over with a cup of coffee in her hands. "Hey, yeah sorry Honey. I'm still working on this guy. He's not responding to the remote." He felt her kiss the top of his head and hold out the cup of coffee for him.

He thanks her and watches the chemist study Baymax. "Is it his programming?"

"I don't know for sure. I'm going to check right now." the inventor dejectedly says. Honey sat down next to him and watched him stare at the screen. "Tadashi."

"Hm?"

She reaches over and runs a hand through his hair, "Relax, you'll get Baymax to work. Find a new angle, remember? You haven't failed."

Tadashi smiles and nods. "I should probably get sleep, I'll record my data for today and call it a night."

* * *

><p>Closer and closer, the SFIT Tech Showcase came just around the corner. This year was supposed to be a fierce competition. There were many competitors from around the country and even the world. Safe to say, Tadashi felt a bit nervous. But he was confident with his work.<p>

His family was there, so was his friends, even Baymax was there.

* * *

><p>"This is my brother Tadashi Hamada." The older brother wheeled himself on stage, stopping beside Hiro. The audience watched the man, as if he was a walking legend. After all, he was literally sitting in his own memorial hall dedicated to himself.<p>

"He was the victim of a fire in this very showcase, it damaged his spinal cord and has rendered him paralyzed from the waist down. Ever since then, he's been wheelchair bound. However, I intend to change that."

Hiro knew that there was a huge skepticism when it came to exoskeletons now, especially after what happened with Atlas. He unpacked the case and pulled out what looked like a back piece. He holds it up and takes out a neural headband. "This is the StimSpine, it's a robot in its own sense."

"What this will do is relay the electrical signals from the brain to this device. It will then shoot the correct electrical impulses that will stimulate movement." He motions Tadashi to lean forward, he then slips the device down his shirt and attaches it.

"It's going to act as the spine itself, there are many uses for this, one of them is rehabilitation." Tadashi put the headband around his head and then pushed himself up. He took a step forward, a bit shaky at first but he earns a gasp and a few murmurs from the crowd.

"With this, you won't need to implant a neural chip or actual electronic spine into a person. " Tadashi straightens himself out and takes a deep breath. He was a bit anxious to be up here, but he didn't mind.

"Using medical acupuncture methods, this robot is able to stay on person with disabilities and act as the actual spine. The response has been tested for this device and its delays has been recorded." Tadashi acted as Hiro's subject, performing feats that a person with a spinal disability couldn't normally do.

It wasn't long till the audience was clapping, it was a step forward in the medical field. Not everyone wanted implants, it was costly, this would cut it short and cut the cost.

"Next presenter, Tadashi Hamada." A look of shock and surprise overcame the audience as they heard his name. He took his hat off and placed it upon the wheelchair. "Good evening. The last time I presented in this very hall was almost four years ago. It was that where I presented Baymax."

Tadashi raises a remote in his hand and presses one of the buttons. A whirr came from the back of the audience and sea of people began to part. The red charging station of the Baymax clone slowly came up the ramp steps. It then faced Tadashi and inflated.

"Hello, Tadashi. I was alerted that you were in distress."

Tadashi then faces the audience and holds out the remote. "Meet the new and upgraded Baymax. I realized that not everyone will be able to say 'ow' or speak. Not everyone can see and so I've upgraded Baymax to accommodate every disability, he can now read sign language. Every Baymax and their patient will have a certain ID, this ID will hold all of the health information that the unit has gathered. If an emergency was to arise, Baymax can notify dispatchers about his patient and send the ID number. This will allow paramedics to respond with the right gear and the right expectations."

Tadashi turns the remote over again. "If the owner was to be in need of help, all they have to do is activate the GPS location system using this remote. Baymax will come to your aid using that location system. If a person who couldn't speak also fell somewhere around their house and Baymax couldn't activate, they could simply press this button."

He then turns to the nurse bot and lifts his arms. "Baymax, please do a full body x-ray and MRI scan."

"You have sustained spinal injuries in the Lumbar and Thoracic area, you do not seem to be in pain. You also have suffered nerve damage. I suggest we contact the paramedics."

"No need Baymax, thank you." Tadashi turns to the awed spectators once more. He was able to move, thanks to Hiro's invention. "Baymax can now do full body scans that will allow him to gather a greater detail about your injuries."

"He's able to treat greater wounds than before, equipped with his own internal medical workstation." Tadashi had a chart come up on the screen behind him, as well as test results. Naturally, he fell back into his old charismatic self.

Fears and worries escaped him as he saw Hiro in the audience. He tried not to smile too much when he saw his brother mouth the word 'breathe' to him.

He exits the stage with the audience never ceasing to stop their praises. Tadashi sits himself back down on his wheelchair and detaches the smart spine on his back. He hands the neural transmitter to his brother, who came bounding in.

"Dude, they loved you!" Tadashi cracks a nervous smile, "Really?"

Gogo gently patted his back and folded her arms, "Oh yeah, people were mumbling about Baymax left and right."

"Mr. Tadashi Hamada." The 21 year old looked over to find the dean of SFIT approaching him. Tadashi's grip on the wheelchair tightened. Then the man's features became light hearted, he donned a smile.

A letter was stuck out in front of him. "I'm happy to welcome you back to the school, classes start next week." Tadashi's mouth slightly hung ajar as if he was just offered a million dollars, he took a hold of the letter and grinned.

"Thank you."

* * *

><p>Tadashi continued to attend SFIT, albeit he had to start all over. To continue his work, he was donated funds by Allister Krei out of good will. However, the next year was a big year for him. It wasn't only the year that Hiro was graduating, but it would be the year he would walk.<p>

Reluctant at first, he later agreed to spinal surgery in hopes of gaining back the ability to be mobile on his own. Part of it came from the school's compensation for the injury he suffered from the fire.

* * *

><p>"Carefully Mr. Hamada." Tadashi pressed his feet upon the floor, his eyes widened when he felt the cold. He could feel again. Slowly, he pushes himself up from the bed and fixes his hospital gown.<p>

"Is he in here?" Hiro was on the other side of the door. He held onto the table for the meantime, his legs were a bit shaky at first. Months of recovery took him to where he was today, supported treading and jogging, he had to get used to walking again.

The door opened to reveal his friends and family, whom he greeted with a short smile. "Hey – "

"Can you … ?"

Tadashi nods and lets go of the table he stands up straight and takes a step towards them. Hiro was ecstatic, he ran forward and pulled his brother into an embrace. Soon, Tadashi found himself covered by the people he loved so much. "I can't believe this." Hiro laughed, choking back his sob. For the longest time, he's wanted his brother to walk again.

He knew how much his brother wanted to be able to move around again without the need for a support. A free spirit, he knew how important it was to him. He was just glad his older brother would be able to have the freedom he had before.

A choked sob came from Tadashi, part of his ghosts came in the form of his paralysis. The fact that he might not be able to ever walk again scared him beyond belief. A small choked sob came from Tadashi, "Thank you, so much."

* * *

><p>"Congratulations, welcome to the alumni association at the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology."<p>

Graduation caps flew into the air and the students broke into cheers. Left and right, students dispersed to greet their families. Hiro glanced around, looking for his own. A pair of arms pulled him into a bear hug and almost squeezed the life out of him.

"I'm so proud of you!" Tadashi laughed, tousling his hair. His younger brother grinned, and put an arm around his shoulder. The rest of his family and friends came to greet him, students said their hellos to him. Even Baymax was there, giving him the longest hug of all. Hiro was the youngest of all the graduates and one of the brightest of the bunch. He held it to a humble regard.

"Let's go celebrate!" This time, Tadashi and Hiro didn't stray from the group. They knew better. The brothers went back to the café with their aunt Cass and their friends. The day soon turned into the night and Hiro and Tadashi had a chance to talk one on one.

"You know, I never doubted you for a second." Hiro smiled and nodded, pushing a chess piece to the next tile. "I know, you always had that – that unshaken belief."

Tadashi watches the chess board, gently rubbing his chin before pushing another piece over. He leaned back. "I'm sure mom and dad are so proud too. Can you imagine? Their son graduating from SFIT?"

Hiro moved his piece again, "Sons. Plural. You're going to graduate too." Tadashi nodded and moved his own.

"Yeah, I will."

They continued to play, piece after piece. It was slowly approaching midnight and he was sure that his brother would have to go back to his apartment with Honey soon.

"I'm starting a company." Tadashi glances up from the board, his brow arched in curiosity. "It's going to be a company for robotics in medicine first. I don't know the name yet, it's going to be something Industries."

He watched his eldest sit up and ponder the thought. "That's wonderful, really. When?"

"I've talked to Allister Krei, we've been speaking and he wants to help fund it. I've read the contracts over and over, I also ran through multiple attorneys. No catches. Shares and all that will be determined later. But I bring this up because … I want your help." The older Hamada rubs the side of his face, wondering what he might want from him. He was fully convince his help was the last thing his brother needed.

"Help with what?"

"Someone to help me manage it of course. On top of that, maybe even be the lead programmer. I feel bad asking you that, because I don't know how you'd feel kind of working for me." Hiro says softly, watching his brother. Tadashi opens his mouth, then quickly closes it. He didn't know what to say. Flattered at most, he warmly smiles.

"You think that would bother me? Of course not, I'd love to. I want to distribute Baymax to people and places that would need him." Hiro quickly nods, he had the mass production of Baymax in mind as well.

"So, partners?" He sticks his hand out to Tadashi.

"Brothers." The eldest smiles and shakes his hand. Hiro grins, "I like the sound of that better."

"Oh, and checkmate."

Tadashi glances down at the board and frowns. "Wow, you got me."

"Tadashi! I'll be in the car, okay?" Honey called. "Okay!" he answered.

"When are you two finally going to get married?"

"We've been dating for only a year, calm down."

Hiro pushes the pieces into a satchel. "Yeah, but I want to be an uncle already. Come on, uncle Hiro? Do you know how cool that is for me? Uncle Baymax? Who wouldn't want a robot as their uncle?"

"You're unbelievable."

He folds the board up and tucks it under his arm. "Can I teach them to bot fight?"

"Very funny." Tadashi sighs. Hiro grins and gently nudged his brother. "Tomorrow then?"

"Tomorrow." He grinned and pulled Hiro into a tight hug. It was returned immediately, ever since the fire, Hiro never thought his day would come. They were together, brothers in arms.

"Drive safe. Okay?"

"I will."

* * *

><p>There it is, <strong>that's<strong> the epilogue. Thank you for the people who stuck with me till the very end. I know that I neglected this chapter an obscenely amount of time. Interests changed and I got a bit jaded when I was doing the epilogue. It's kind of hard for me to end it really, because I kind of wished it didn't. But that's just me.

I love these characters, each of them, I wish I put more light on some others. There's just so much potential in this series. I've never been so invested or in love with an animated movie like this. There are other franchises too, but the whole science in it and the way they portrayed it just warmed my heart. There are flaws to this movie, it's not perfect, but there's a lot of meaning to it for me when I saw BH6.

Anyway, I hope that this was somewhat satisfying. If it wasn't, I deeply apologize. There are a lot of flaws in my story, inconsistencies and all, however I hope that it wasn't too much of a bother. 'Time' was just a wonderful story to write, I had fun writing and it's been a long time since I invested myself into a story. The responses I got from each of you really made it worth the while. I have prospects for writing another story, it's still going to be BH6, but it'll be a different universe. It's going to be crime related, but I haven't fully fleshed the idea out.

I hope you the best in the future and know that there's always going to be bad days, however those days have their ends.

- **Death Row Six (Derrick)**


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